Ultrasound use in cardiothoracic surgery

With the advent of minimally invasive surgical techniques, patients in the United States currently are undergoing safer, more comfortable surgical procedures than in the past. Traditionally, saphenous vein harvesting techniques involved open surgical techniques that could become sources of postoperative complications, including pain, poor wound healing, increased length of hospital stay, and higher costs for the patient and hospital. These complications were the impetus for developing minimally invasive techniques for vein harvesting. Minimally invasive saphenous vein harvesting is performed through small incisions and subcutaneous tunnels. The procedure offers an atraumatic conduit for the coronary artery bypass procedure and decreases the number of leg wound complications. Ultrasound devices currently offer a quick, accurate method for locating veins before harvest, thereby avoiding wound complications and injuries.