Publications by authors named "Parker A Willmon"
Objective: To evaluate the benefits of probe-based near-infrared autofluorescence (NIRAF) parathyroid identification during parathyroidectomy.
Background: Intraoperative parathyroid gland identification during parathyroidectomy can be challenging, while additionally requiring costly frozen sections. Earlier studies have established NIRAF detection as a reliable intraoperative adjunct for parathyroid identification.
Article Synopsis
- Pediatric patients undergoing thyroid surgery have a higher incidence of hypoparathyroidism mainly due to unintentional damage to the parathyroid glands during surgery.
- This study evaluates the effectiveness of a fiber-optic probe using near-infrared-autofluorescence (NIRAF) to locate these glands in children, a method previously studied only in adults.
- Results showed that NIRAF successfully identified parathyroid glands with a detection rate of 95.8%, suggesting it could be a beneficial and non-invasive approach for their detection in pediatric surgery.
Background: During adrenalectomy, surgeons have traditionally relied on their subjective visual skills to distinguish adrenal glands (AGs) from retroperitoneal fat and surrounding structures, while ultrasound and exogenous contrast agents have been employed for intraoperative AG visualization, all of which have their limitations. We present a novel label-free approach that uses near-infrared autofluorescence (NIRAF) detection, which demonstrates potential for enhanced intraoperative AG visualization and efficient tumor resection during adrenalectomies.
Methods: Patients undergoing adrenalectomy or nephrectomy were enrolled for this feasibility study.