Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39810013›Full record

ArticleTechniques in coloproctology2025

Fluorescence angiography with indocyanine green for low anterior resection in patients with rectal cancer: a prospective before and after study.

J Charbonneau, É Papillon-Dion, R Brière, N Singbo, A Legault-Dupuis, S Drolet, F Rouleau-Fournier, P Bouchard, A Bouchard, C Thibault and 1 more

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Article in Techniques in coloproctology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Observational
  4. Article
  5. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

J CharbonneauUniversité Laval, 10, De l'Espinay St, Quebec City, QC, G1L 3L5, Canada. janyssa.charbonneau.1@ulaval.ca.ORCID 0009-0009-8327-3525
É Papillon-DionUniversité Laval, 10, De l'Espinay St, Quebec City, QC, G1L 3L5, Canada.
R BrièreUniversité Laval, 10, De l'Espinay St, Quebec City, QC, G1L 3L5, Canada.
N SingboCHU de Québec-Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada.
A Legault-DupuisUniversité Laval, 10, De l'Espinay St, Quebec City, QC, G1L 3L5, Canada.
S DroletUniversité Laval, 10, De l'Espinay St, Quebec City, QC, G1L 3L5, Canada.
F Rouleau-FournierUniversité Laval, 10, De l'Espinay St, Quebec City, QC, G1L 3L5, Canada.
P BouchardUniversité Laval, 10, De l'Espinay St, Quebec City, QC, G1L 3L5, Canada.
A BouchardUniversité Laval, 10, De l'Espinay St, Quebec City, QC, G1L 3L5, Canada.
C ThibaultUniversité Laval, 10, De l'Espinay St, Quebec City, QC, G1L 3L5, Canada.
F LetarteUniversité Laval, 10, De l'Espinay St, Quebec City, QC, G1L 3L5, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundInadequate bowel perfusion is among risk factors for colorectal anastomotic leaks. Perfusion can be assessed with indocyanine green fluorescence angiography (ICG) during colon resections. Possible benefits from its systematic use in high-risk patients with rectal cancer remain inconsistent. This study aimed to evaluate the surgical modifications induced by ICG assessment during rectal cancer surgery and associated anastomotic leaks.

methodsThis prospective before and after cohort study was conducted in a single Canadian high-volume colorectal surgery center. Eligible patients were undergoing a low anterior resection for rectal cancer below 15 cm from the anal margin. Stapled and handsewn coloanal anastomoses were included. The experimental group was recruited prospectively, undergoing surgery using fluorescence angiography with ICG. The control group was built retrospectively from consecutive patients who had been operated on without ICG, prior to its implementation.

resultsEach cohort included 113 patients. The use of ICG led to modifications from initial surgical plan in 10.6% of patients, with no occurrence of anastomotic leaks in this specific group. When comparing leak rates, using ICG seemed to be protective, but this could not be statistically proven, overall (13.3% vs. 6.2%, p = 0.07), nor for handsewn coloanal anastomoses (11.8% vs. 5.9%, p = 0.67). A lack of power could explain such non-significant results, especially with low overall anastomotic leak rates recorded.

conclusionICG influenced ultimate proximal resection margin in a clinically relevant proportion of cases. It might be associated with reduced leak rates although not formally proven with this data. This technology is safe and easy to apply in high-volume colorectal centers.

Indexed as

Anastomotic LeakFluorescein AngiographyIndocyanine GreenProctectomyRectal NeoplasmsAgedAnastomosis, SurgicalColonColoring AgentsFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesRectumRetrospective StudiesColoring AgentsIndocyanine GreenAnastomotic leakICGIndocyanine greenRectal cancerRectal neoplasms

Identifiers

PMID39810013

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.