Leg wound infection after coronary artery bypass grafting: a meta-analysis comparing minimally invasive versus conventional vein harvesting

The great saphenous vein remains the most commonly harvested conduit for revascularization in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Our aim is to compare minimally invasive vein harvest techniques to conventional vein harvest with regards to leg wound infection rates. A meta-analysis of identified randomized controlled trials, reporting a comparison between the two techniques published between 1965 and 2002, was undertaken. The outcome of interest was leg wound infection. Fourteen randomized studies were identified and included in the meta-analysis. Our study revealed that wound infection was significantly lower in the minimally invasive vein harvest group (odds ratio 0.22 with 95% confidence intervals of 0.14 to 0.34). Our study suggests that using minimally invasive techniques might reduce leg wound infection rate following great saphenous vein harvesting for CABG. Further research is required to evaluate the potential benefits of minimally invasive vein harvesting techniques on the cost of postoperative care and quality of the harvested vein.