The pneumatic tourniquet technique for endoscopic radial artery harvest.

Background: Endoscopic vessel harvest is viewed as a safe, reliable, and cost-effective method for greater saphenous vein removal. As the radial artery has more recently become a popular conduit choice in coronary artery revascularization, we describe herein an endoscopic technique for radial artery harvest in our first 50 patients as an alternative to the more traditional open technique.

Methods: From November 2001 to July 2002, 54 radial arteries were harvested endoscopically in 50 patients utilizing the VasoView Endoscopic Vessel Harvesting System, an Esmark bandage, and a pneumatic cuff tourniquet.