CASE REPORT   

Minerva Chirurgica 2017 October;72(5):442-6

DOI: 10.23736/S0026-4733.17.07366-7

Copyright © 2017 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Infrared thermal imaging: a potential tool used in open colorectal surgery

Vladan BERNARD ¹, Vladimír ČAN ², Erik STAFFA ¹ ✉, Martina FARKAŠOVÁ ², Michaela NĚMCOVÁ ¹, Marek DOSTÁL ¹, Zdeněk KALA ², Vojtěch MORNSTEIN ¹

¹ Masaryk University, Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Brno, Czech Republic; ² Department of Surgery, University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic

Aim of this pilot study was to assess blood perfusion of bowel in resection lines by means of the infrared thermal imaging in order to choose the best place for anastomosis. The paper brings a first experience with infrared thermal imaging used in colorectal surgery operation from initial observation of the patient with T3 adenomatous carcinoma with no lymph node metastasis. The obtained infrared images show a clear boundary between parts of the intestine with blood perfusion and without it. The proposed position of resection of colon identified by infrared camera is in accordance with routinely designated position. Infrared thermal imaging seems to be a complimentary diagnostic method to see the perfusion in colorectal surgery.

KEY WORDS: Colorectal surgery - Anastomosis, surgical - Neoplasms - Infrared rays