Which incisions may the patient have?

• A. Median sternotomy
• B. Leg incision to harvest saphenous vein
• C. Wrist incision to harvest the radial artery
• D. All of the above

Answer: (D)

In CABG, surgeons may need multiple incisions to access the heart and to obtain graft vessels. The chest is opened with a median sternotomy, which gives direct exposure to the heart and its arteries. To create additional grafts, veins and arteries are harvested from other parts of the body: the saphenous vein is commonly taken from the leg via a leg incision, and the radial artery can be harvested from the forearm or wrist via a wrist incision. Depending on the patient’s anatomy and the number and type of grafts planned, any combination of these incisions may be used. So, all of the incisions listed are possibilities in CABG.