REVIEW  NOVELTIES IN CARDIAC SURGERY 

Minerva Cardioangiologica 2020 October;68(5):480-8

DOI: 10.23736/S0026-4725.20.05234-2

Copyright © 2020 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Endothelial damage inhibitors for improvement of saphenous vein graft patency in coronary artery bypass grafting

Sigrid E. SANDNER ¹ ✉, Catherine J. PACHUK ², Thomas ASCHACHER ¹, Milan MILOJEVIC ^{3, 4}, Etem CALISKAN ^{5, 6}, Maximilian Y. EMMERT ^{5, 6}

¹ Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria; ² Somahlution, Jupiter, FL, USA; ³ Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; ⁴ Department of Cardiac Surgery and Cardiovascular Research, Dedinje Cardiovascular Institute, Belgrade, Serbia; ⁵ Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Charite University of Medicine, Berlin, Germany; ⁶ Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, German Heart Institute Berlin, Berlin, Germany

The saphenous vein graft (SVG) remains the most commonly used conduit in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). In light of this further research must be aimed at the development of strategies to optimize SVG patency and thereby improve both short- and long-term outcomes of CABG surgery. SVG patency in large part depends on the protection of the structural and functional integrity of the vascular endothelium at the time of conduit harvesting, including optimal storage conditions to prevent endothelial damage. This review provides an overview of currently available storage and preservation solutions, including novel endothelial damage inhibitors, and their role in mitigating endothelial damage and vein graft failure.

KEY WORDS: Coronary artery bypass; Saphenous vein; Coronary artery disease; Vascular grafting