Venous small bowel infarction: intraoperative laser Doppler flowmetry discriminates critical blood supply and spares bowel length.

Introduction. In mesenteric infarction due to arterial occlusion, laser Doppler flowmetry and spectrometry are known reliable noninvasive methods for measuring microvascular blood flow and oxygen utilisation. Case Presentation. As an innovation we used these methods in a patient with acute extensive mesenteric infarction due to venous occlusion, occurring after radical right hemicolectomy. Aiming to avoid short bowel syndrome, we spared additional 110 cm of small bowel, instead of leaving only 80 centimetres of clinically viable small bowel in situ. The pathological examination showed only 5 mm of vital mucosa to be left distal to the dissection margin. No further interventions were necessary. Conclusion. Laser doppler flowmetry and spectrometry are potentially powerful methods to assist the surgeon's decision-making in critical venous mesenteric perfusion, thus having an important impact on clinical outcome.