Robotic right colectomy with complete mesocolic excision and indocyanine green guidance

BACKGROUND: Robotic complete mesocolic excision (CME) has recently emerged as promising technique to enhance oncologic results in hemicolectomy for cancer. The potential near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence with indocyanine-green (ICG) dye for lymphatic mapping is under investigation and few small case-series are reported. METHODS: ICG solution was endoscopically injected the day before surgery in patients undergoing robotic right colectomy with CME using the Da Vinci Xi (R) system and the bottom to up technique. During surgery the ICG was excited by light in the near-infrared (NIR) spectrum of the Firefly (TM) system, of the Da Vinci Xi (R) system for image comparison in standard white light and NIR, and real-time visualization of the lymphatic drainage. RESULTS: Twenty patients affected by right colon cancer underwent robotic right colectomy with the bottom to up technique. No cases converted to open surgery were observed. During surgery, a fluorescent mapping of draining lymph nodes, was visualized in all the 20 patients. In seven patients (35%), lymph nodes outside the standard lymphatic basin were identified and removed. CONCLUSIONS: The association of robotic right colectomy with the bottom to up technique and ICG-guided lymphadenectomy is a feasible and safe procedure. ICG lymphatic mapping may help to perform a correct CME, although the independent impact of these procedures on oncologic outcome deserves further investigations.