Real-time Vessel Navigation Using Indocyanine Green Fluorescence during Robotic or Laparoscopic Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer

PURPOSE: Identification of the infrapyloric artery (IPA) type is a key component of pylorus-preserving gastrectomy. As the indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence technique is known to help visualize blood vessels and flow during reconstruction, we speculated that this emerging technique would be helpful in identifying the IPA type. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From August 2015 to February 2016, 20 patients who underwent robotic or laparoscopic gastrectomy were prospectively enrolled. After intravenous injection of approximately 3 mL of ICG (2.5 mg/mL), a near-infrared fluorescence apparatus was applied. The identified shape of the IPA was confirmed by examining the actual anatomy following infrapyloric dissection. RESULTS: The mean interval time between ICG injection and visualization of the artery was 22.2 seconds (range, 14–30 seconds), and the mean duration of the arterial phase was 16.1 seconds (range, 9–30 seconds). The overall positive predictive value (PPV) of ICG fluorescence in identifying the IPA type was 80% (16/20). The IPA type was incorrectly predicted in four patients, all of whom were obese with a body mass index (BMI) of more than 25 kg/m(2). CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary results indicate that intraoperative vascular imaging using the ICG fluorescence technique may be helpful for robotic or laparoscopic pylorus-preserving gastrectomy.