Safety and effectiveness of fluorescence laparoscopy in precise hepatectomy: A meta-analysis

Indocyanine green fluorescence imaging (ICG-FI) in difficult laparoscopic hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma: a retrospective propensity score-matched analysis

BACKGROUND

Indocyanine green fluorescence imaging (ICG-FI) is increasingly used in laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH). However, its efficacy in enhancing both short- and long-term outcomes in difficult LH for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) compared with traditional white light (WL) LH remains unclear.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study analyzed 573 patients who underwent LH between April 2018 and April 2023, stratified by the use of ICG-FI or WL. Propensity score matching (PSM, 1:1) was employed to minimize baseline discrepancies and reduce selection bias. Perioperative outcomes, overall survival (OS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were evaluated. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was conducted to compare OS and RFS between groups, and Cox regression models were applied to identify independent prognostic factors.

RESULTS

Among the 573 patients who underwent LH, 178 were classified as high-difficulty hepatectomies, including 47 patients in the ICG-FI group and 131 in the WL group. After PSM, 78 patients were matched, with 39 patients in each group. In both unmatched and matched cohorts, the ICG-FI group demonstrated significantly lower conversion rates (2.6% vs. 15.4%, P = 0.048), shorter durations of drainage tube placement (7.0 [5.0, 8.0] vs. 7.0 [6.0, 9.5], P = 0.048), fewer severe postoperative complications (2.6% vs. 15.4%, P = 0.048), and reduced postoperative hospital stays (7 [4.5, 9] vs. 8 [7, 10], P = 0.045). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed significantly improved RFS in the ICG-FI group compared with the WL group (P = 0.021). Independent predictors of RFS included ICG-FI, liver cirrhosis, and the presence of satellite nodules. Independent predictors of OS included LH performed at the expert difficulty level (HR = 2.875, 95% CI: 1.331-6.207, P = 0.007) and R0 resection (HR = 0.142, 95% CI: 0.028-0.734, P = 0.020).

CONCLUSIONS

ICG-FI demonstrates significant benefits in short-term outcomes and enhances RFS in patients undergoing difficult LH for HCC. However, its impact on OS warrants further validation through large-scale, multicenter prospective studies.

Pay attention to the application of indocyanine green fluorescence imaging technology in laparoscopic liver cancer resection

Traditional laparoscopic liver cancer resection faces challenges, such as difficulties in tumor localization and accurate marking of liver segments, as well as the inability to provide real-time intraoperative navigation. This approach falls short of meeting the demands for precise and anatomical liver resection. The introduction of fluorescence imaging technology, particularly indocyanine green, has demonstrated significant advantages in visualizing bile ducts, tumor localization, segment staining, microscopic lesion display, margin examination, and lymph node visualization. This technology addresses the inherent limitations of traditional laparoscopy, which lacks direct tactile feedback, and is increasingly becoming the standard in laparoscopic procedures. Guided by fluorescence imaging technology, laparoscopic liver cancer resection is poised to become the predominant technique for liver tumor removal, enhancing the accuracy, safety and efficiency of the procedure.

Current applications of indocyanine green (ICG) in abdominal, gynecologic and urologic surgery: a meta-review and quality analysis with use of the AMSTAR 2 instrument

BACKGROUND

Indocyanine green (ICG) is an injectable fluorochrome that has recently gained popularity as a means of assisting intraoperative visualization during laparoscopic and robotic surgery. Many systematic reviews and meta-analyses have been published. We conducted a meta-review to synthesize the findings of these studies.

METHODS

PubMed and Embase were searched to identify systematic reviews and meta-analyses coping with the uses of ICG in abdominal operations, including Metabolic Bariatric Surgery, Cholecystectomy, Colorectal, Esophageal, Gastric, Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary, Obstetrics and Gynecology (OG), Pediatric Surgery, Surgical Oncology, Urology, (abdominal) Vascular Surgery, Adrenal and Splenic Surgery, and Interdisciplinary tasks, until September 2023. We submitted the retrieved meta-analyses to qualitative analysis based on the AMSTAR 2 instrument.

RESULTS

We identified 116 studies, 41 systematic reviews (SRs) and 75 meta-analyses (MAs), spanning 2013-2023. The most thoroughly investigated (sub)specialties were Colorectal (6 SRs, 25 MAs), OG (9 SRs, 15 MAs), and HPB (4 SRs, 12 MAs). Interestingly, there was high heterogeneity regarding the administered ICG doses, routes, and timing. The use of ICG offered a clear benefit regarding anastomotic leak prevention, particularly after colorectal and esophageal surgery. There was no clear benefit regarding sentinel node detection after OG. According to the AMSTAR 2 tool, most meta-analyses ranked as "critically low" (34.7%) or "low" (58.7%) quality. There were only five meta-analyses (6.7%) that qualified as "moderate" quality, whereas there were no "high" quality reviews.

CONCLUSIONS

Regardless of the abundance of pertinent literature and reviews, surgeons should be cautious when interpreting their results on ICG use in abdominal surgery. Future reviews should focus on ensuring methodological vigor; establishing clear protocols of ICG dose, route of administration, and timing; and improving reporting quality. Other sources of data (e.g., registries) and novel methods of data analysis (e.g., machine learning) might also contribute to an enhanced role of ICG as a decision-making tool in surgery.

Safety and effectiveness of indocyanine green fluorescence imaging-guided laparoscopic hepatectomy for hepatic tumor: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction

Previous clinical investigations have reported inconsistent findings regarding the feasibility of utilizing indocyanine green fluorescence imaging (ICGFI) in laparoscopic liver tumor removal. This meta-analysis aims to comprehensively evaluate the safety and effectiveness of ICGFI in laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH).

Methods

A systematic search of pertinent clinical studies published before January 30th, 2023 was conducted in databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science. The search strategy encompassed key terms such as "indocyanine green fluorescence," "ICG fluorescence," "laparoscopic hepatectomy," "hepatectomies," "liver Neoplasms," "hepatic cancer," and "liver tumor." Additionally, we scrutinized the reference lists of included articles to identify supplementary studies. we assessed the quality of the incorporated studies and extracted clinical data. Meta-analysis was performed using STATA v.17.0 software. Either a fixed-effects or a random-effects model was employed to compute combined effect sizes, accompanied by 95% confidence intervals (CIs), based on varying levels of heterogeneity.

Results

This meta-analysis encompassed eleven retrospective cohort studies, involving 959 patients in total. Our findings revealed that, in comparison to conventional laparoscopic hepatectomy, patients receiving ICGFI-guided LH exhibited a higher R0 resection rate (OR: 3.96, 95% CI: 1.28, 12.25, I2 = 0.00%, P = 0.778) and a diminished incidence of intraoperative blood transfusion (OR: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.22, 0.81, I 2 = 51.1%, P = 0.056). Additionally, they experienced shorter postoperative hospital stays (WMD: -1.07, 95% CI: -2.00, -0.14, I 2 = 85.1%, P = 0.000). No statistically significant differences emerged between patients receiving ICGFI-guided LH vs. those undergoing conventional LH in terms of minimal margin width and postoperative complications.

Conclusion

ICGFI-guided LH demonstrates marked superiority over conventional laparoscopic liver tumor resection in achieving R0 resection and reducing intraoperative blood transfusion rates. This technique appears to hold substantial promise. Nonetheless, further studies are needed to explore potential long-term benefits associated with patients undergoing ICGFI-guided LH.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD 42023398195.