PS02.022: INDOCYANINE GREEN: A USEFUL TOOL IN MINIMALLY INVASIVE ESOPHAGEAL CANCER SURGERY

Abstract Background Minimally invasive approach to esophageal cancer has been accepted as the standard of care in many centers. Nontheless, some technical difficulties are encountered during surgery. A proper vascularization of the gastric tube is mandatory to avoid the dreadful complication of a leak or of gastric conduit necrosis. On the other hand, there is controversy on the identification of sentinel lymph node in early esophageal cancer and on the extent of lymphadenectomy in locally advanced tumours. Indocyanine green (ICG) is a sterile, anionic, water-soluble but relatively hydrophobic, tricarbocyanine molecule, which is bound to plasma proteins when intravenously injected. It is extracted by the liver appearing in the bile around 8 minutes after injection. When injected outside the blood vessels, ICG reaches the nearest lymph node within 15 minutes and after 1 to 2 hours it binds to the regional lymph nodes. The usual dose of ICG is 0.1 - 0.5mg/mL/kg. ICG becomes fluorescent once excited with near-infrared (NIR) light at about 820 nm. The fluorescence released by ICG may be detected using specially developed cameras. Methods A systematic review of the literature of ICG in esophageal surgery was carried on February 2018 using the following terms: esophagus, indocyanine green, ICG, surgery, angiography, lymph node, and combinations of the above. Results The technique of ICG angiography for vascular assessment of the gastroepiploic arcade and gastric conduit is explained and the published results are review. The use of ICG for the evaluation of sentinel lymph node in early esophageal cancer and of lymph node mapping for regional lymph nodes is explained and current evidence is reviewed. Conclusion ICG use in esophageal surgery is still a novel and promising technique. It could help to reduce anastomotic leak by means of vascular assessment of the gastric conduit, locate lymph nodes out of the usual fields of lymphadenectomy and locate the sentinel lymph node in early esophageal cancer Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.