[Visualization of the thoracic duct during surgical operations (author's transl)].

Anaesthetists generally object, because of the risk of aspiration, to the pre-operative administration of coloured cream for visualizing the thoracic duct during surgical operations on the oesophagus, lung hilus and major vessels of the mediastinum. The possibility was, therefore, studied to mark the thoracic duct without involving the digestive tract. The following method was developed: a dye was injected into the wall of the distant portion of the oesophagus; the dye passes into the lymphatics and is transported first into the abdominal vessels and subsequently into the thoracic duct. Six dyes were tested in animal experiments. Evans blue and patent blue proved suitable.