Indocyanine green angiography for intra-operative assessment in vascular surgery.

OBJECTIVES

Indocyanine green (ICG) angiography is used for the intra-operative assessment of the graft vessel in coronary artery bypass grafting to enable immediate revision if necessary. We report the feasibility and implications of an ICG colour imaging system, HyperEye Medical System (HEMS), in surgeries for arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) which carry risk of mesenteric ischaemia.

METHODS

HEMS ICG angiography was used for the intra-operative assessment of 12 ASO patients and 10 AAA patients.

RESULTS

In the ASO patients, HEMS angiography enabled visualisation of the graft and native artery. The fluorescent lucent region in the artery distal to the anastomosis was shown in 1 of 12 ASO patients. There was a 3-s time lag in the increase of intensity between the proximal artery and distal stenotic region. In AAA patients, HEMS angiography clearly showed the perfusion in the mesenteric arteries and intestinal wall as opaque. One AAA patient had segmental ischaemia due to thromboembolism and another one had diffuse ischaemia due to systemic malperfusion. The ischaemic region of the intestine was visualised as a fluorescent lucent area by HEMS angiography.

CONCLUSION

HEMS angiography can accurately assess peripheral arterial perfusion in surgical cases with ASO and AAA.