Vessel Harvesting System Aids Bypass Grafting Procedures

An updated vessel harvesting system provides an endoscopic approach for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and peripheral artery bypass-graft procedures.

The VirtuoSaph Plus Endoscopic Vessel Harvesting (EVH) system includes features that have been retained from the original VirtuoSaph system, including a completely integrated design, open CO2 insufflation, and one step sealing and cutting capabilities. Key new features of the VirtuoSaph Plus system include improved recyclable packaging with tray-in-tray design that offer easy access to the sterile tray and an ergonomic grip for better circulation. A patented polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) dissector rod with extended working length reduces the force required to create a tunnel and allows dissection of longer vessels.


Other features of the system include precise control of spot cautery, with a safety switch available when needed; an integrated bipolar cord which minimizes the number of connections needed and improves electrical conductivity; and an endoscope wiper available on an all access 360 degree ring switch. The VirtuoSaph Plus Endoscopic Vessel Harvesting System is a product of Terumo Cardiovascular Systems (Ann Arbor, MI, USA), and has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“We find that use of the VirtuoSaph Plus system has given us an enhanced feeling of control. The longer PTFE dissector rod requires the use of less force and has reduced resistance during dissection,” said Timothy McCoy, PA-C, of The Toledo Hospital (OH, USA) . “Since we began using the VirtuoSaph Plus system we feel more confident that our team is providing our patients with high quality conduits that offer the patency our patients require for a positive outcome.”

For patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), a physician may recommend CABG surgery to reroute blood around blocked arteries to restore and improve blood flow and oxygen to the heart. To create the bypass graft, a surgeon harvests healthy blood vessels from another part of the body, often from the patient's leg or arm. This vessel becomes a graft, with one end attaching to a blood source above and the other end below the blocked area, creating a new conduit channel.

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