Usefulness of the Indocyanine Green (ICG) Immunofluorescence in laparoscopic and robotic partial nephrectomy.

Abstract

The trend towards the organ sparing and robotic assisted surgeries is clear and is going to expand in the future. Hence, the tools surgeons need to facilitate such minimallly invasive approaches are going to be even more important. The Indocyanine green (ICG) is a water-soluble, relatively hydrophobic dye which bounds to plasma protein and can be used intraoperatively as real time contrast agent. Near infrared fluorescence (NIRF) helps in differentiating the renal planes, and the most common reagent used for the NIRF is ICG. The combination is used frequently during nephron sparing surgery in urology to ensure the ischemia of the kidney after clamping the renal artery, moreover it can help to identify the arterial blood supply to the tumor allowing selective clamping and thus minimizing the ischemia time. Several studies assessed the role of ICG in nephron-sparing surgery and provided evidence that its use allows to improve perioperative and oncological outcomes. This review provides an overview of the articles published regarding the use of ICG during partial nephrectomy, about the oncological outcomes and safety.