A safe and effective surgical navigation technique in laparoscopic radical gastrectomy: Indocyanine green-mediated near-infrared fluorescent imaging

摘要

In the past decades, gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common cancers and causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide [1]. China has the highest incidence of GC [2] and accounts for more than 40% of all new GC cases in the world [3]. Radical lymphadenectomy serves as an important role in the staging and definitive management of GC [4, 5]. At present, laparoscopic radical gastrectomy has been shown to significantly improve the accuracy of tumor staging and long-term survival of GC patients [6]. The retrieval of more lymph nodes (LNs) via lymphadenectomy is a current requirement for laparoscopic radical gastrectomy [5]. Lymphadenectomy is usually performed according to the experience of surgeons. However, it is a substantial challenge for surgeons to efficiently and accurately acquire enough LNs without increasing the risk of complications as the vascular and lymphatic anatomy of stomach is extremely complex. Therefore, surgeons are looking for more accurate strategies to perform adequate lymphadenectomy under laparoscopic guidance.