A novel device called venous external support (VEST) may lead to increased longevity and durability of saphenous (leg) vein grafting during coronary artery bypass surgery, according to a new trial done in collaboration with Mount Sinai Health System and conducted by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Cardiothoracic Surgical Trials Network.
The initial phase of the research, which is the first Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved trial to test the efficacy of this support device, will prompt further long-term studies that may lead to FDA approval. The results were announced November 13 as a late-breaking clinical trial during the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions being broadcast from Dallas.