Kaatje Lenaerts
Papers
1
Total Citations
37
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1
About
Dr. Kaatje Lenaerts is a surgical researcher whose work centers on improving outcomes in colorectal cancer surgery, with a particular focus on reducing the devastating complication of anastomotic leakage. Her major contribution lies in pioneering the clinical application of near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging using indocyanine green (ICG) to assess bowel perfusion during anastomotic procedures. In her landmark 2019 pilot study, which has garnered 37 citations, Dr. Lenaerts demonstrated a critical proof-of-concept by correlating intraoperative fluorescence intensity with postoperative serum markers of inflammation and leakage. This innovative work bridges the gap between real-time surgical visualization and biochemical prediction, offering a potential pathway to personalized risk assessment during surgery. By establishing a quantifiable link between tissue perfusion and subsequent inflammatory response, her research has laid the groundwork for more precise, image-guided interventions that could significantly reduce morbidity in colorectal cancer patients. Dr. Lenaerts’ findings represent a meaningful step toward integrating advanced optical imaging with traditional surgical decision-making.
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