Indocyanine green perfusion assessment of the gastric conduit in minimally invasive Ivor Lewis esophagectomy.

Background: Anastomotic leak is a serious complication following esophagectomy. The aim of the study was to report our experience with indocyanine green fluorescence angiography (ICG-FA)-PINPOINT® assisted minimally invasive Ivor Lewis esophagectomy (MILE) and assess factors associated with anastomotic leak.

Methods: We reviewed consecutive patients undergoing MILE from 2013 to 2018. Intraoperative real-time assessment of gastric conduit was performed using ICG-FA with PINPOINT®. Perfusion was categorized as good perfusion (brisk ICG visualization to conduit tip) or non-perfusion (any demarcation along the conduit).

Results: 100 patients (81 males, median age 68 [60-72]) underwent MILE for malignancy in 96 patients and benign disease in 4 patients. There were six anastomotic leaks all managed with endoscopic stent placement. There was no intraoperative mortality and no 30-day mortality in leak patients. Patients with a leak were more likely to be overweight with BMI > 25 (100% versus 53%, p = 0.03), have pre-existing diabetes (50% versus 13%, p = 0.04), and have higher intraoperative estimated blood loss (260 mL [95-463] versus 75 mL [48-150], p = 0.03). Anastomotic leaks occurred more frequently in the non-perfusion (67%) versus the good perfusion category (33%, p = 0.03). By multivariable analysis, diabetes (odds ratio [OR] 6.42; p = 0.04) and non-perfusion (OR 6.60; p = 0.04) were independently associated with leak.

Conclusion: Intraoperative use of ICG-FA may be a useful adjunct to assess perfusion of the gastric conduit with non-perfusion being independently associated with a leak. While perfusion plays an important role in anastomotic integrity, development of a leak is multifactorial, and ICG-FA should be used in conjunction with the optimization of patient and procedural components to minimize leak rates. Prospective, randomized studies are required to validate the interpretation, efficacy, and application of this novel technology in minimally invasive esophagectomies.