Endoscopic Vein Harvesting for Coronary Bypass Grafting: A Blessing or a Trojan Horse?
Figure 1
Endoscopic vein harvesting. (a) The first step is the identification of the great saphenous vein (GSV) through a 3-cm incision near the knee. (b) The next step is the dissection of the vein from the surrounding subcutaneous tissue. (c) After creating a tunnel by means of CO2 insufflation, all side branches of the GSV are identified, coagulated using diathermy and transected. (d) The final result is demonstrated, 35 cm of vein harvested through a 3 cm incision near the knee and a 3-mm counterincision in the groin (arrow).
