Impact of indocyanine green-fluorescence imaging on distal pancreatectomy with celiac axis resection combined with reconstruction of the left gastric artery

Abstract

BackgroundWe previously reported the usefulness of distal pancreatectomy with celiac axis resection (DP-CAR) with left gastric artery (LGA) reconstruction to prevent ischemic gastropathy. To evaluate the reconstruction quality, we performed intraoperative angiography with indocyanine green (ICG)-fluorescence imaging. Methods21 consecutive patients planned for DP-CAR with LGA reconstruction were enrolled in this prospective, exploratory single-arm study from 2014 to 2017. After LGA reconstruction, intraoperative angiography revealed continuous arterial flow passing through the anastomotic sites and gradually increasing tissue perfusion in the stomach. ResultsThree patients were excluded. Among the remaining 18 patients, we obtained good flow in 11 patients and poor flow in 7 patients after initial LGA reconstruction. Among the seven patients with poor flow, five underwent LGA re-anastomosis, three recovered good flow. The incidence of grade B/C DGE was 14% (2/14) in the finally good flow group and 75% (3/4) in the poor flow group (p = 0.019). Ischemic gastropathy occurred in two patients (50%) in the poor flow group (p = 0.039), including one with a gastric perforation. DiscussionOur data show that intraoperative angiography with ICG-fluorescence imaging can evaluate the reconstruction quality, thus contributing to improvements in the short-term outcome of DP-CAR with LGA reconstruction.