Objective: Surgical manuplations during harvesting saphenous vein graft (SVG) and application of organ bath for CABG causes intimal injury. A prospective study was performed with the postulation that in-situ harvesting technique would protect the graft from ischemic injury and decrease the intimal injury on of the endotelium.

Materials and Methods: This study includes consecutive forty patients who underwent SVG harvesting for CABG. Two group each consisting 20 patients were formed. In group-1, SVG was harvested using the conventional open technique and kept for 45 minutes in papaverine organ-bath. In group-2, SVG was harvested by the in-situ technique and kept within a sponge soaked with papaverine for 45 minutes. 1 cm samples were taken from the distal end of the graft for the histopathological examination and were scored under light microscopy. Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis.

Results: It was found that the median scores of pathological injury were 2 in both groups. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in respect to the scores of pathological injury (p = 0.987). Mild-moderate degree intimal desquamation was found in the two groups.

Conclusion: In-situ saphenous vein graft harvesting does not have any advatage over the conventional open technique with respect to intimal injury.