RESUMO
AIM: comparative assessment of endoscopic and open exposure of the great saphenous vein during the operation of coronary artery bypass grafting. MATERIAL AND METHODS: a total of 228 patients with endured coronary artery bypass graft operation were randomized depending on the method of exposing the great saphenous vein (GSV) - an open method of vein exposure (OVE) - 115 patients and endoscopic vein exposure (EVE) - 113 patients. The evaluated parameters included healing of the postoperative wounds, postoperative oedema, pain intensity, and neuropathies in the early postoperative period. We performed lymphoscintigraphy of the lower limbs, as well as morphological examination of the venous wall by means of light and electron scanning microscopy. RESULTS: the duration of vein exposure was less in the EVE group than in the OVE group, amounting to 31.8 ± 6.2 min and 40.3 ± 15.8 min, respectively (p<0.01). Complications after GSV isolation were encountered considerably less often in the EVE group (11.5%) as compared to 44.4% in the OVE (p=0.001). According to the results of the multivariate analysis, diabetes mellitus was the only risk factor for postoperative complications in OVE. According the findings of lymphoscintigraphy the EVE group had no significant impairments of lymph outflow after the operation, whereas during OVE, accumulation of radiopaque material in the lymph nodes decreased twofold (p ≤ 0.001). Histological assessment of the sampled vein specimens showed no considerable lesions of the venous wall in the examined groups. CONCLUSION: the obtained findings confirm high efficacy of using EVE during operations of CABG, lower traumaticity of this method with a conduit of good quality, which was proven based on electron microscopy of the vein fragments.