Near-Infrared Fluorescence Image-Guided Surgery in Esophageal and Gastric Cancer Operations.

BACKGROUND

Near-infrared fluorescence image-guided surgery helps surgeons to see beyond the classical eye vision. Over the last few years, we have witnessed a revolution which has begun in the field of image-guided surgery.

PURPOSE, AND RESEARCH DESIGN: Fluorescence technology using indocyanine green (ICG) has shown promising results in many organs, and in this review article, we wanted to discuss the 6 main domains where fluorescence image-guided surgery is currently used for esophageal and gastric cancer surgery.

STUDY SAMPLE AND DATA COLLECTION

Visualization of lymphatic vessels, tumor localization, fluorescence angiography for anastomotic evaluation, thoracic duct visualization, tracheal blood flow analysis, and sentinel node biopsy are discussed.

CONCLUSIONS

It seems that this technology has already found its place in surgery. However, new possibilities and research avenues in this area will probably make it even more important in the near future.