Intra-Nodal Indocyanine Green Injection to Delineate Thoracic Duct During Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy.

INTRODUCTION

Post-operative chylothorax is a dreaded complication after esophagectomy; hence real-time identification of the thoracic duct (TD) may aid in avoiding its injury or promptly tackling injury when it occurs. We utilized intra-nodal injection of Indocyanine green (ICG) dye to delineate TD anatomy while performing esophagectomy for esophageal carcinoma.

METHOD

Two ml of 1 mg/ml solution of ICG was injected into the inguinal lymph nodes under ultrasound guidance. TD was checked with the laparoscopic Karl Storz IMAGE1 S or Robotic da Vinci Xi system. The thoracic esophagus, periesophageal tissue, and lymph nodes were dissected. The TD was visualized throughout the dissection using Overlay technology & Firefly mode™ and checked at the end to rule out any dye leak. TD was clipped if any dye leakage or TD injury (TDI) was noted using Near Infra-Red Spectroscopy.

RESULTS

Twenty one patients with M:F 13:8 underwent minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) [thoracoscopic assisted (n = 15) and robotic-assisted (n = 6)]. TD was visualized in all the cases after a median (IQR) time of 35 (30, 35) min. The median (IQR) duration of the thoracic phase was 150 (120,165) min. TDI occurred in 1 case, identified intra-operatively, and TD was successfully clipped. There were no post-operative chylothorax or adverse reactions from the ICG injection.

CONCLUSION

Intra-nodal ICG injection before MIE helps to identify the TD in real-time and is a valuable intra-operative aid to prevent or successfully manage a TD injury. It may help to prevent the dreaded complication of post-operative chylothorax after esophagectomy.