Novel no-touch technique of harvesting the saphenous vein for coronary artery bypass grafting.

BACKGROUND: Optimization of the saphenous vein for myocardial revascularization.

OBJECTIVE: To present the no-touch technique of the saphenous vein preparation. This technique consists of harvesting the vein with a pedicle of surrounding tissue, which protects the vein from spasms, obviating the need for distension.

METHODS: A prospective, randomized study with 156 patients who underwent artery bypass grafting was performed comparing three saphenous vein harvesting techniques: conventional, intermediate, and no-touch. A morphological study of the endothelium was carried out using scanning microscopy. An angiographic assessment of the vein graft patency was performed at a mean follow-up time of 18 months. Also, an immunohistochemical assessment was carried out to identify the endothelial enzyme nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in the vein wall

RESULTS: The preservation of the endothelial cell integrity was greater in the no-touch technique than in the other procedures. At angiographic follow-up, the patency for the no-touch group was 95.4%, 88.9% for the grafts of the conventional technique group, and 86.2% for the grafts performed in the intermediate technique group. The immunohistochemical assessment revealed eNOS in all three layers of the vein wall in the no-touch group and reduction of this enzyme in the conventional group.

CONCLUSION: The endothelial integrity and eNOS activity were better preserved when using the no-touch technique for vein graft harvesting. The mechanical protection provided by the cushion of surrounding tissue in the no-touch group, the vasorelaxation and thromboresistant activities of nitric oxide may be responsible for the reduction of vasospasms and improved patency rate.