BACKGROUND:
Near-infrared imaging with indocyanine green has been used to guide lateral lymph node dissection, yet its efficacy and benefits need further investigation.
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the efficacy and feasibility of near-infrared fluorescence imaging and angiography of inferior vesical artery in laparoscopic lateral lymph node dissection.
DESIGN:
A prospective non-randomized controlled study.
SETTINGS:
Single center study
PATIENTS:
Patients with lower rectal cancer who underwent total mesorectal excision plus lateral lymph node dissection.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
A cohort of 108 patients was enrolled. After propensity score matching, 29 patients in near-infrared group and 50 patients in non-near-infrared group were matched. The total number of harvested lateral lymph nodes, positive lateral lymph nodes, inferior vesical artery preservation, and postoperative urinary function were compared.
RESULTS:
After propensity score matching, the baseline characteristics were similar in both groups. The total number of harvested lateral lymph nodes in the near-infrared group was significantly higher (12 vs 9, p = 0.013), but positive lateral lymph nodes were similar between the two groups (1 vs. 1, p = 0.439). The ratio of inferior vesical artery preservation was significantly increased with the aid of indocyanine green angiography (93.1% vs. 56.0%, p < 0.001). The non-near-infrared group required more days for urinary catheter removal than the near-infrared group (5 vs. 4, p = 0.046). Urinary recatheterization tended to occur more frequently in the non-near-infrared group, with a marginally significant trend (16% vs. 0%, p = 0.059). The non-near-infrared group tended to have more cases with residual urine volume ≥50 ml than that of the near-infrared group (20.0% vs. 3.4%, p = 0.087), especially in the bilateral dissection subgroup (41.2% vs. 0%, p = 0.041).
LIMITATIONS:
Small sample size.
CONCLUSIONS:
Near-infrared imaging increased the number of harvested lateral lymph nodes, while real-time indocyanine green fluorescence angiography ensured the preservation of inferior vesical artery and tended to improve postoperative urinary function.