Usefulness of fluorescent angiography in colorectal surgery

Abstract

Background: Anastomotic leak (AL) is one of the most feared complication of colorectal surgery. Its development is dependent of patient and surgery factors. Of these, bowel perfusion is one of the most important. Fluorescent angiography (FA) allows the identification in real time of the bowel perfusion.
Objective: to describe the experience in the use of FA during colorectal surgery in a University Hospital setting in Buenos Aires, to register the change in surgical plan according to the FA findings and record the incidence of AL.
Material y methods: Between January 2016 and June 2018, 37 patients with scheduled colorectal resections and FA bowel perfusion assessment were included.
Results: Perfusion assessment with FA was possible in all cases with an extra operative time of 3 to 9 minutes, a change in surgical plan was registered in 4 cases (10.81%) and 2 AL were recorded (5.41%).
Conclusions: FA during colorectal surgery is feasible, with minimum extra operative time and results in a change in surgical plan in 11% of the cases, and low rate of anastomotic fistula.