BACKGROUND Traditional great saphenous vein harvest for coronary artery bypass grafting is associated with a significant risk of impaired wound healing. Endoscopic saphenous vein harvesting (EVH) has been introduced in an effort to reduce the incidence of leg-wound complications, whereas the histological quality and long-term patency of harvested grafts are comparable with grafts harvested by m...

BACKGROUND With the expanded use of the radial artery as a bypass conduit in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, an endoscopic radial artery harvesting method was used to improve esthetics and patient acceptance, and possibly, to decrease hand neurologic complications. METHODS After informed consent and confirmation of adequate ulnar collateral blood flow, 300 consecutive pat...

A best evidence topic in cardiac surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was: in [patients undergoing coronary revascularisation] is [endoscopic vein harvest] superior to [open harvest] in improving [clinical outcome and cost effectiveness]? Altogether >166 papers were found using the reported search, of which eight represented the best evidence to answer ...

Peripheral nerve injuries and brachial plexus injuries are relatively frequent. Significance of these injuries lies in the fact that the majority of patients with these types of injuries constitute working population. Since these injuries may create disability, they present substantial socioeconomic problem nowadays. This article will present current state-of-the-art achievements of minimal inv...

OBJECTIVE Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is an anti-inflammatory cytokine that suppresses lymphocyte functions, regulates production of proinflammatory cytokines, and suppresses nitric oxide production by activated macrophages. We examined IL-10 expression and its value as a surrogate index for nitric oxide (NO) production in endothelial cultures obtained from saphenous vein samples. METHODS Using 2 ...