Videoscopic Surgical Procedure Reduces Pain and Recovery Time of Bypass Surgery
"I never experienced the first hint of pain or discomfort in my leg after surgery," said Harriman resident Mike Lewis, who underwent videoscopic saphenous vein harvesting during heart bypass surgery on May 14 at Parkwest. Here, Dr. Brent Grishkin assesses the healing of the incisions made in Lewis' leg during the procedure.
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 ort Sanders Parkwest Medical Center is among the first hospitals in the area to offer patients videoscopic saphenous vein harvesting, a new procedure that eliminates the long incision required to remove a vein in the leg for open heart coronary bypass surgery. This surgical advance may reduce the postoperative pain and recovery time associated with this type of surgery, which is performed on more than 300,000 patients annually.
 "Much of the pain from coronary bypass surgery is actually caused by the incision in the patient's leg, not the incision in the chest where the bypass procedure is performed," said Dr. Robert Helsel, one of several cardiovascular surgeons who perform this surgical technique at Parkwest. "More than 70 percent of all patients who undergo a bypass operation are candidates for this new procedure."
Saphenous vein harvesting involves the removal of the large, superficial veins of one or both legs. Traditional techniques for this removal involve making a long incision that may run from the groin area to the ankle. Using the videoscopic technique, a surgeon makes two or more incisions, only two to three inches in length, in one or both legs in order to insert special surgical instruments. These include a miniature camera that allows the surgeon to view the inside of the leg on a television monitor and remove the vein through the small incisions.
Once removed, the vein is then connected to the coronary artery(ies), bypassing any blockages to restore blood flow to the heart. These blockages are usually caused by a build-up of fat and cholesterol.
"Videoscopic saphenous vein harvesting is not yet widely available, but as more surgeons receive training in the technique we expect more and more procedures will be performed this way because of the significant quality of life benefits to the patients," said Dr. Brent Grishkin, another Parkwest cardiovascular surgeon experienced in this procedure.
 Patients seeking videoscopic vein harvesting should discuss the procedure with their doctor to see if they are appropriate candidates and if their surgeon has experience with this new procedure. The technique is also performed by cardiovascular surgeons at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center and Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge.
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