Is endoscopic long saphenous vein harvesting equivalent to open harvesting technique in terms of graft patency?

A best evidence topic was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether endoscopic vein harvesting (EVH) is equivalent to open vein harvesting in terms of graft patency for patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery. A total of 417 articles were found using the reported search, of which 4 represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, journal, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes and results of these articles are tabulated. Reported outcomes were vein graft failure or patency on coronary angiography or computed tomography angiography at early, mid and long-term follow-up. Of the non-randomized studies reviewed, those with greater patient numbers and longer follow-up periods showed reduced patency rates in the EVH group. Two small early randomized controlled trials demonstrated equivalent patency rates at up to 6 months follow-up. However, a more recent randomized controlled trial showed reduced patency with EVH in 63 patients at a median follow-up of 6.3 years. We conclude that high-quality evidence for the effects of harvesting method on vein graft patency is lacking, with no large randomized trials performed to date. The current evidence suggests that although rates of vein graft failure seem to be similar within the first 6 months following surgery, EVH is associated with reduced graft patency from 12 months onwards.