ObjectiveThe objective of the study was to evaluate a novel imaging technology for assessing tissue oxygen saturation (StO2) in the gastric conduit during thoracic esophagectomy, comparing it to the traditional method of indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence angiography, which has several limitations. MethodsThis prospective study included 60 patients with thoracic esophageal cancer undergoing thoracic esophagectomy, approved by the National Cancer Center Hospital’s institutional review board. A new videoscope system with oxygen saturation imaging (OXEI) mode was tested. Intraoperative StO2 and ICG measurements were taken at the tip of the gastric conduit, the demarcation line of visible perfusion, and the end of the right gastroepiploic artery. The study aimed to compare the correlation between StO2 and ICG values and evaluate the incidence of postoperative anastomotic leakage. ResultsOut of 60 patients, 57 were analyzed after excluding three for oncological reasons. Anastomotic leakage occurred in three patients. StO2 values decreased towards the tip of the conduit and were significantly lower at the tip compared to the demarcation line (P = 0.001). The mean StO2 at the anastomosis site was significantly lower in patients with leakage (P = 0.04). There was a negative correlation between StO2 and ICG values at the end of the right gastroepiploic artery (r = -0.361; P = 0.03). Two of the three patients with leakage had normal ICG values but low StO2 values and marked congestion. ConclusionStO2 imaging proved useful in determining the anastomotic site and addressed the limitations of the ICG method, which is contraindicated in patients with iodine allergy and subject to measurement biases. The OXEI method, being non-invasive and capable of real-time assessment, shows promise in predicting anastomotic leakage. Further prospective studies in larger, multi-center trials are planned to confirm these findings and evaluate the efficacy of OXEI compared to ICG.
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