Paper on potential of PerfusiX-Imaging in accurately predicting long-term postoperative ischemic complications published in Surgical Endoscopy
In the paper “Experimental evaluation of laparoscopic laser speckle contrast imaging to visualize perfusion deficits during intestinal surgery” published in cooperation with the group of prof. Nicole Bouvy in Surgical Endoscopy of September 2023, the team compares the quantitative PerfusiX-Imaging perfusion values with local capillary lactate levels, a gold standard for ischemia. The study used an experimental ischemic bowel loop model in the small intestine of a pig to assess the effectiveness of PerfusiX-imaging in real-time visualization of intestinal microperfusion. Both large and small ischemic loops were created, each divided into five regions of interest (ROI) with varying levels of ischemia. The researchers measured speckle contrast and local capillary lactate (LCL) in all ROIs. The results were highly promising, as PerfusiX-Imaging successfully achieved real-time visualization of intestinal microperfusion and identified induced perfusion deficits in all bowel loops. Crucially, the emergence of regions of intestinal ischemia could be predicted immediately after iatrogenic perfusion limitation, whereas without PerfusiX, signs of decreased intestinal viability could only be observed after 30 minutes. Additionally, a significant relationship was found between LCL and LSCI, further confirming the efficacy of the imaging technique.
In conclusion, the study highlights the potential of laparoscopic LSCI in accurately predicting long-term postoperative ischemic complications. By offering real-time visualization of intestinal microperfusion deficits, PerfusiX-Imaging can aid surgeons in making informed decisions during the construction of intestinal anastomoses. With its capacity to identify and mitigate ischemia-related complications, PerfusiX-Imaging has the potential to significantly improve surgical outcomes in colorectal procedures. The study is published open access and can be found HERE.