Dr. Thomas Langdon and Endoscopic Vein Harvesting
Thomas J. Langdon, M.D
Thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon
with Alegent Health Heart and Vascular Institute
In traditional bypass surgery, often one of the most difficult aspects of recovery for the hundrds of thousands who undergo bypass surgery each year has been the healing process for surgery performed on the leg where the bypass vein had been.
This is usually done through a
long incision from ankle to groin. However, with Endoscopic Vein
Harvesting (EVH), the vein can be removed through tiny incisions, eliminating
much of the pain and reducing the time and complications involved in recovery.
The new procedure, endoscopic vessel harvesting (EVH), performed by heart surgeons at the Alegent Health Heart and Vascular Institute, allows the vein to be removed through one to three
small incisions, less than one inch in length.
Endoscopic vessel
harvesting offers several benefits:
-
a significant reduction in wound complications
-
quicker and better mobility after the operation
-
more rapid wound healing
-
less leg pain
-
less scarring
EVH, done during the early stage of the bypass operation, is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that involves using a specialized probe which works with video equipment allowing the surgeon to view the vein during the process of removal. Endoscopic equipment enables the surgeon to clip the vein away from its side branches, requiring an incision usually only about 3cm in length.
