Surface oximetry. A new method to evaluate intestinal perfusion.

Accepted methods to evaluate intestinal vascularity intraoperatively include standard clinical criteria (SCC), doppler ultrasound (DUS), and intravenous fluorescein (FLF). A combination of methods is often used to overcome disadvantages of individual techniques. Assessment of intestinal vascularity by FLF was compared to SCC, DUS, and pulse oximetry (POX) in segments of intestine demonstrating arterial, venous and arteriovenous occlusion, to determine if POX might supplement the assessment of intestinal vascularity. POX uses a commercially available instrument to assess tissue oxygenation and arterial flow, and is rapid, reproducible, and noninvasive. POX appears to be a superior technique when compared to SCC and DUS.