A bypass
operation includes two surgical procedures:
- The bypass surgery involves the use of a healthy blood vessel to
“bypass” a damaged or blocked artery in the heart.
- The second procedure is the removal of a healthy blood vessel, in
this case the radial artery in the patient’s forearm. This vessel
will be used to construct the bypass.
Recent advances in technology have made it possible to perform this
second procedure in a new way, through endoscopic small incision surgery.
This new procedure results in less muscle and tissue damage when removing
the vessel graft. This may eliminate many of the complications associated
with the former technique, which required a long incision the length of
the graft.
In the past a vessel was often removed from the patient’s leg, called
a saphenous vein graft. Now surgeons may choose to remove the radial
artery in the patient’s forearm instead.
To harvest the radial artery the surgeon makes two small one-inch
incisions in the patient’s forearm. One incision is made near the wrist;
the other is made near the elbow.
Because radial arteries from the arm are accustomed to higher blood
pressure than leg veins, they may prove to be more durable bypass grafts.
In the past surgeons had to harvest the radial artery through a long
incision from the elbow to the wrist, increasing the potential for
complications.
How
is Endoscopic Radial Artery Harvesting Performed?
An endoscope, a special instrument used to view the artery, is
connected to a video camera and inserted through the small incisions in
the forearm. The endoscope allows the surgeon to remove the artery with
minimal stress to the forearm.
Patient
Benefits from Endoscopic Radial Artery Harvesting
The potential benefits from this procedure include the following:
- The patient should experience less tissue scarring.
- The site of the patient’s incision should be less painful.
- The recovery from surgery should be shorter, allowing the patient to
concentrate on cardiac rehabilitation.
In most cases the radial artery can be harvested successfully. However,
every patient is unique, and the surgical team will recommend the best
procedure for each patient.
It is important to remember that the goal of any bypass surgery is to
increase blood flow to the heart’s arteries. Increased blood flow may:
- Provide relief from angina (pain or tightness in the chest)
- Improve the pumping ability of the heart muscle
- Reduce the risk of heart attacks
- Most importantly, improve the quality of life
To learn more about Endoscopic Vessel Harvesting, click
here
"Gabriel
Petrecca almost didn't make his daughter's wedding. His doctor
used EVH and not only did Gabriel attend, he was able to do the
father-daughter dance."
"This
one-inch incision is in his thigh...it's a small incision and it's
wonderful, it's fantastic."
"The
EVH has made it to the point that the patients hardly even know
that they've had the vein taken out of their leg because they have
these two tiny incisions..."
"Higher
risk patients get the benefit, but everybody gets the benefit.
Smaller scars mean shorter hospital stays..."