# Venous external support enhanced coronary artery bypass grafting: a multicentric cohort experience

## TL;DR

This study shows that using a venous external support device during heart bypass surgery is effective in reducing the need for repeat procedures.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates the real-world feasibility and effectiveness of VEST-enhanced CABG in reducing revascularization rates.

## Key findings

- VEST-enhanced SVG grafts had significantly lower revascularization rates compared to non-stented SVG grafts.
- Freedom from MACCE at 1, 3, and 5 years was 95.1%, 85.4%, and 82.4%, respectively.
- Most revascularization events occurred in non-grafted or non-VEST-enhanced territories.

## Abstract

This multicentric study evaluated short- and mid-term clinical outcomes, with specific focus on the need for repeat revascularization, in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with VEST supported saphenous vein graft (SVG).

A total of 397 patients underwent CABG in a three-center setting, with or without concomitant procedures, with at least one SVG supported with an external stent. Open vein harvesting was performed in 80.3% of patients. The majority (73.3%) of patients underwent on-pump CABG, 6.8% of patients had concomitant valve surgery, and the average number of grafts per patient was three. Patients were followed for major adverse cardiac and cerebral events (MACCE) for a median duration of 24 (1-101) months.

Overall, 469 of 654 SVG (71.7%) received external stents. Freedom from MACCE at 1, 3, and 5 years was 95.1% (SE 0.011), 85.4% (SE 0.021), and 82.4% (SE 0.030) respectively. Revascularization rates in territories which were grafted with a stented SV was low in general (1.28%) and statistically significantly lower than in territories grafted with a non-stented SVG (4.32%, p = 0.015). Arterially grafted territories confirmed low revascularization rates as well (0.9%).

VEST-enhanced CABG is feasible and associated with low MACCE in real world routine practice which includes on and off pump CABG, sequential grafting, and concomitant surgery. Short- to mid-term clinical follow up suggests that VEST enhanced CABG is associated with very low target vessel revascularization rates, with most re-revascularization happening at non-grafted or non-VEST-enhanced grafted territories.