Abstract
A 72-year-old man suffering from postinfarction angina and atrial septal defect (ASD) underwent a combined operation of four bypass graftings and direct closure of ASD. The great saphenous vein was harvested with the use of a bipolar Nd-YAG laser dissector without scissors or threads. Nd-YAG laser (wavelength: 1.064um) was irradiated to the branches of the saphenous vein through the ceramic tips of the dissector. After about five minutes exposure, the branch was dissected and bleeding from the dissected edge was not seen. Postoperative angiogram six months after grafting showed all grafts were patent, and morphological abnormalities such as reginoal shrinkage, diffuse narrowing and aneurysmal dilation were not observed. We conclude that laser graft harvesting using the bipolar dissector is safe and effective in saving time.
