ESC Congress 2024 — SWEDEGRAFT does not support the routine use of no-touch vein harvest compared to the standard technique.

Dr Harriette Van Spall (McMaster University, CA) sits down with principal investigator Prof Stefan James (Uppsala University, SE) to discuss results of the SWEDEGRAFT trial (NCT03501303; Uppsala University).

The SWEDEGRAFT trial is a prospective, binational, multicenter, open-label, registry-based study comparing the non-touch and conventional vein graft techniques in patients undergoing first-time CABG surgery. A total of 902 patients aged up to 80 years were randomized to either group. The primary outcome is graft failure, defined as SVG occlusion or stenosis greater than 50% on coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA), percutaneous intervention to a vein graft, or death within two years post-CABG.

The investigators found that no-touch vein harvest technique was not superior to the conventional technique in preventing vein graft failure or improving mid-term clinical outcomes in patients undergoing non-emergent CABG. However, it was associated with an increased risk of early leg wound complications and residual wound symptoms. 

Recorded on-site at ESC Congress 2024, London.

Editors: Jordan Rance and Mirjam Boros.
Videographers: Mike Knight, Dan Brent, Oliver Miles, Tom Green, David-Ben-Harosh.

Support: This is an independent interview produced by Radcliffe Cardiology.