MedPath

Randomized Endo-Vein Graft Prospective

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
Interventions
Procedure: Vein Harvesting Procedures
Registration Number
NCT01850082
Lead Sponsor
VA Office of Research and Development
Brief Summary

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is the most common major surgical procedure in the United States with over 300,000 cases performed each year. To restore blood flow to the heart, vascular conduits from another part of the body are procured to create a bypass around critically blocked coronary arteries. The left internal thoracic artery is the conduit of choice for CABG due to its superior long-term patency. However, almost all patients referred for CABG require additional grafts to provide complete revascularization. This necessitates the harvest of other vessels, most commonly the saphenous vein which is used almost ubiquitously in contemporary CABG with an average of two vein grafts per CABG procedure. In the last 10 years, Endoscopic Vein Harvesting (EVH) has been recommended as the preferred method over the traditional open harvesting technique (OVH) because it provides a minimally invasive approach. However, more recent investigations indicate potential for reduced long-term bypass graft patency and worse clinical outcomes with EVH. The long term impact of EVH on clinical outcomes has never been investigated on a large scale using a definitive, adequately powered, prospective Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) with long-term follow-up.

Detailed Description

CSP #588 - REGROUP is a randomized, intent-to-treat, two-arm, parallel design, multicenter study. Cardiac Surgery Programs at Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMC) with expertise in performing both EVH and OVH will be invited to participate in the study. Subjects requiring elective or urgent CABG using cardiopulmonary bypass with use of at least one SVG will be screened for enrollment using established inclusion/exclusion criteria. Enrolled Subjects will be randomized to one of the two arms (EVH or OVH) after an experienced vein harvester is identified and assigned. Intraoperative assessments will be collected and post-operative assessments will be completed 24 hours post-surgery. Additional assessments will be completed at the time of discharge or at the 30-day post-surgery date if the subject is still in the hospital. Assessment of leg wound complications will be completed at the time of discharge and at six-week post-surgery. Telephone follow-ups will occur at three-month interval post-surgery until the participating sites are decommissioned at the end of the trial period (which would be approximately 4.5 years after the site initiations). For long-term MACE outcomes, passive follow up for MACE events using VA databases (CPRS, VASQIP) will be performed centrally by the Study Chair's office for another 2 years.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
1150
Inclusion Criteria
  • Age years 18 years or older
  • Elective or Urgent CABG-only
  • Median sternotomy approach
  • At least one coronary bypass planned using saphenous vein graft for conduit
  • Experienced EVH/OVH harvester available for procedure
Read More
Exclusion Criteria
  • Combined valve procedure planned
  • Moderate or severe valve disease (see definition of moderate/severe valve)
  • Hemodynamically unstable or in cardiogenic shock
  • Enrolled in another therapeutic or interventional study
  • Off-pump CABG procedure planned
  • Limited life expectancy < 1 year
  • History of lower extremities venous stripping or ligation
  • Inability to provide informed consent
Read More

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Endoscopic Vein Harvest (EVH)Vein Harvesting ProceduresAn endoscopic vein harvest allows a portion of vein from the inside of the leg to be removed through small incisions. This reduces the length of the incision by several inches. An endoscope, or video camera, is used to view the vein and remove the needed length.
Open Vein Harvest (OVH)Vein Harvesting ProceduresOpen vein harvesting is the traditional method for vein harvesting. It is performed under direct vision using a single long incision or, more commonly, multiple-smaller incisions (referred to as "bridging" technique) along the course of the vein.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Incidence of First MACE During Active Follow-up Period.Varying timeframe for each participant with a minimum of 1 year and a maximum 4.5 Years

Incidence of first MACE estimated via Kaplan Meier survival analysis (MACE defined as death from any cause, repeat revascularization, myocardial infarction) during the active follow-up period.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
MACE at One Year.1 year

Proportion of patients with MACE (death from any cause, repeat revascularization, myocardial infarction) at one year postoperatively.

MACE at Three Years.3 years

Proportion of patients with MACE (death from any cause, repeat revascularization, myocardial infarction) at three years postoperatively.

Incidence of First MACE Over the Entire Follow-up Period (Active and Passive).Varying timeframe for each participant with a minimum of 3 years and a maximum of 6.5 years

Incidence of first MACE estimated via Kaplan Meier survival analysis (MACE defined as death from any cause, repeat revascularization, myocardial infarction) during the entire follow-up period (active and passive).

Trial Locations

Locations (16)

Southern Arizona VA Health Care System, Tucson, AZ

🇺🇸

Tucson, Arizona, United States

San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA

🇺🇸

San Francisco, California, United States

Miami VA Healthcare System, Miami, FL

🇺🇸

Miami, Florida, United States

James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, Tampa, FL

🇺🇸

Tampa, Florida, United States

Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN

🇺🇸

Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC

🇺🇸

Durham, North Carolina, United States

VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System University Drive Division, Pittsburgh, PA

🇺🇸

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI

🇺🇸

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States

North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System, Gainesville, FL

🇺🇸

Gainesville, Florida, United States

VA Boston Healthcare System Jamaica Plain Campus, Jamaica Plain, MA

🇺🇸

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

New Mexico VA Health Care System, Albuquerque, NM

🇺🇸

Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

Manhattan Campus of the VA NY Harbor Healthcare System, New York, NY

🇺🇸

New York, New York, United States

Asheville VA Medical Center, Asheville, NC

🇺🇸

Asheville, North Carolina, United States

Louis Stokes VA Medical Center, Cleveland, OH

🇺🇸

Cleveland, Ohio, United States

VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR

🇺🇸

Portland, Oregon, United States

Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX

🇺🇸

Houston, Texas, United States

© Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved by MedPath