Biomed Pap Med Fac Univ Palacky Olomouc Czech Repub. X:X | DOI: 10.5507/bp.2026.007

Perioperative outcomes and graft patency in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) after no-touch saphenous vein harvesting: A single-center exploratory study

Jakub Konecny, Martin Troubil, Vladimir Svitek, Artur Barshatskyi, Dominik Sabacky, Martin Simek
Department of Cardiovascular and Transplant Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc and University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic

Background: The no-touch (NT) technique for saphenous vein harvesting aims to preserve vascular integrity and improve graft performance in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). However, concerns remain regarding wound healing disorders and local complications at the graft harvest site.

Methods: This prospective observational comparative study included 60 consecutive patients undergoing CABG, allocated to conventional saphenous vein harvesting (CONV, n=30) or the NT technique (NT, n=30). Group allocation was based on routine clinical practice and surgeon preference, without formal randomization. The primary outcome was the incidence of wound healing disorders and local complications at the harvest site. Secondary outcomes included perioperative parameters, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), and venous graft patency assessed by computed tomography coronary angiography one year after surgery.

Results: Operative time and aortic cross-clamp time were comparable between groups. Shorter graft harvesting time was observed in the NT group (35 ± 7.5 min vs. 43 ± 9.1 min; P=0.001), along with significantly reduced perioperative blood loss (15 ± 7 mL vs. 40 ± 12.1 mL; P<0.0001). The incidence of subcutaneous hematoma on postoperative day 7 was significantly lower in the NT group (20% vs. 60%; P=0.003). No statistically significant differences were found between groups in wound infection rates, MACE, or venous graft patency at one-year follow-up.

Conclusion: The NT technique for saphenous vein harvesting offers relevant perioperative advantages, including shorter harvesting time, reduced blood loss, and fewer early local complications, without adversely affecting operative time, major adverse cardiac events, wound infection, or one-year graft patency.

Keywords: coronary artery bypass grafting, saphenous vein harvesting, NT technique, wound healing complications, graft patency

Received: January 11, 2026; Revised: March 11, 2026; Accepted: March 13, 2026; Prepublished online: March 24, 2026 

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