[Determination of the viability of a patient's intestine by using laser doppler flowmetry during surgery]

Intraoperative determination of the viability of the intestine by means of laser Doppler flow measurement was conducted in 26 patients. The method proved to be highly effective, made it possible to judge most objectively the degree of changes in blood flow in various parts of the intestine in a short time and correct them subsequently during the operation, and considerably reduced the possibility of the development of postoperative complications due to inadequate appraisal of the degree of vascularization of the mobilized segments of the small and large intestine which are prepared for the formation of the anastomosis.