The Usefulness of Professional Foot and Wound Care on Post-Saphenectomy Surgical Site Complications in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

ABSTRACT Background: Venous vessel removal during coronary artery bypass grafting may cause undesired problems such as pain and skin infection in the surgical site. Objective: To investigate the usefulness of professional foot and wound care on the healing of saphenectomy surgical site in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Methods: The present prospective study was conducted among 574 patients (>18 years) undergoing CABG with great saphenous vein harvesting, between May 2017 and May 2018. The patients were randomly divided into two groups based on the foot care into professional foot care group (PFCG) and the standard foot care group (SFCG) with 287 patients each. Postoperative surgical site complications were assessed on the first, second, third, fourth day, 1 week and 1 month interval. Results: The Mean age of patients in PFCG and SFCG groups was 59.71 ±9.9 and 60.34 ±11.22, respectively. Rate of Postoperative complications decreased on the follow up examinations in PFCG group as compared to SFCG group. A significant difference in the incidence of complications was observed on the fourth day (p=0.004) and after 1 month (p=0.029) of surgery between 2 groups. No significant correlation was determined between the length of the removed saphenous vein, number of arteries anastomosed and the post-saphenectomy complication rate at the first, second, third, and fourth days, at the first week, and first month in both groups except in PFCG where significant association was noted on the third postoperative day. Conclusion: Postoperative limb care by professional foot specialist decreases the postoperative complications in the surgical site.