Decreased morbidity following long saphenous vein harvesting using a minimally invasive technique: a randomised controlled trial comparing two techniques for long saphenous vein harvest.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to compare the morbidity associated with long saphenous vein harvesting using the traditional open technique (A) against a minimally invasive technique using the Mayo vein stripper (B) that involves multiple short incisions.

Design: We conducted a prospective randomized controlled study in 80 patients undergoing first time coronary artery bypass grafting. Pain and healing was assessed on each postoperative day.

Mediastinitis in heart and lung transplantation: 15 years experience.

Background: Mediastinitis after sternotomy carries a very high mortality, especially in patients receiving immunosuppressive treatment.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of the data for patients who had undergone cardiopulmonary transplantation between May 1985 and December 2000 was undertaken. A total of 776 patients had either a median sternotomy or a transverse sternotomy through a clam-shell incision.