2024 Volume 49 Issue 5 Pages 423-429
Purpose: To evaluate whether intraoperative indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence angiography could decrease the anastomotic leakage (AL) rate of colorectal cancer surgery and assess whether it could influence the construction rate of covering stoma (CS rate) or not with low anterior resection (LAR).
Method: This retrospective study included patients with colorectal cancer who underwent surgery at our institution between May 2020 and July 2023. The patients were divided into two groups: the ICG and no-ICG groups. Additionally, the LAR population was derived from both groups.
Result: A total of 212 patients were included: 100 patients in the ICG group and 112 patients in the no-ICG group. Among them, 13 and 20 patients in the ICG and no-ICG groups, respectively, underwent LAR. The AL rates were 1.7% in the no-ICG group and 0% in the ICG group. Nine (4.25%) patients in the ICG group had a modified resection line after intraoperative ICG fluorescence angiography. On the other hand, CS rates were 60% in the no ICG-LAR group and 15% in the ICG-LAR group.
Conclusion: No significant difference in AL rate was observed. However, the possibility that modification of the resection line prevents AL exists. Furthermore, ICG fluorescence angiography can possibly reduce CS rate with LAR surgery.
