Indocyanine green fluorescence angiography for intraoperative assessment of blood flow: a feasibility study

Abstract

Objective: To introduce our preliminary experience with indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence angiography for the assessment of lower leg bypasses.

Methods: 1ml of 0.5% indocyanine green was intravenously injected in 9 patients with PAD who underwent paramalleolar artery bypass using saphenous vein grafts. A newly developed near-infrared camera system (PDE; Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. Hamamatsu, Japan) was used for this study.

Results: ICG fluorescence angiography was performed without any adverse events. Fluorescence images of ICG angiography could be viewed as real-time images of the angiography in eight patients, while one patient underwent graft revision with the absence of fluorescence in ICG angiography.

Conclusion: ICG fluorescence angiography is clinically feasible and may help surgeons assess the quality of lower leg bypasses.