Endoscopic vein harvesting comes to Cabrini
04/12/2024
Cabrini has become the first private hospital in Victoria to perform endoscopic vein harvesting (EVH) for patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery. This is fantastic news for cardiac patients.
Patients with coronary artery disease who require bypass surgery, would normally have long cuts in their legs to ‘harvest’ the veins to be used in their heart operation. This traditional technique can leave patients with leg pain and scarring. However, the new endoscopic vein harvesting technique means much smaller incisions, which has a multitude of benefits.
This innovative technique, led by Cabrini Cardiothoracic Surgeon Mr Adam Zimmet, marks a significant advancement in cardiac care and patient recovery.
“Traditionally, vein harvesting involved making a long incision from just above the ankle to the groin, sometimes extending 15 to 30 centimetres in length,” Mr Zimmet explained. “With the new EVH procedure, we only make two small incisions.”
With EVH, a surgical nurse practitioner or surgical assistant essentially tunnels up under the soft tissue in the leg using CO2 and a small telescope and dissecting instrument to extract the vein. This technique means that instead of a long wound from the calf to the groin, the patient only has two tiny incisions. EVH means less pain, faster wound healing, barely visible scars, reduced complications and quicker recovery times. It is particularly good news for patients with vascular disease or diabetes who often have poor wound healing capabilities.
So far, Cabrini has undertaken three EVH procedures and all patients are recovering well. The introduction of EVH at Cabrini wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of Cabrini Foundation donors, who funded the first ten procedures and purchase of the new technology required.
The team responsible for assisting Mr Zimmet with the first procedures at Cabrini, include anaesthetist Dr Chris Bain, surgical assistant Dr Richard Druce, perfusionist Patrick O’Neill, EVH nurse practitioner Michael Henwood and registered nurses Ginni Georgie, Melody Bellido, Sini Varghese, Samantha Streader, Jo Sinclair and Melinda Moden.
Professor Matt Sabin, Cabrini Group Director of Medical Services and Clinical Governance said the introduction of EVH represents another exciting evolution for Cabrini’s cardiac services.
“Coronary artery disease takes a heavy toll on the heart and for some patients a bypass operation brings new hope. This breakthrough EVH technique makes vein harvesting easier on our patients and offers a life-changing chance to regain heart health quicker through improved mobility and recovery times.
“There’s potential for further expansion of our EVH program at Cabrini, and this development paves the way for broader adoption in the private sector across Victoria and beyond,” added Professor Sabin.