Outcomes of No-Touch Vs Conventionally Harvested Saphenous Veins for Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials

This meta-analysis of eight randomized clinical trials (RCT) compared no-touch (NT) vs conventional (CON) saphenous vein (SV) harvesting in coronary bypass surgery. At a 3.7-year follow-up, NT-SV harvesting showed significantly lower graft failure rates compared to CON-SV. However, mortality and major adverse cardiac events were similar between groups. NT-SV harvesting was associated with higher leg wound complications. The author’s conclusion was that NT-SV harvesting reduces graft failure but increases wound complications; thus, strategies to mitigate harvest-site complications are needed.