Use of Indocyanine Green for Intraoperative Ureteral Identification in Difficult Hysterectomies for Gynecologic...

To show the use of indocyanine green (ICG) for intraoperative ureteral identification (UI) during a difficult laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH) for endometrial cancer (EC).

Stepwise demonstration of the technique with narrated video footage.

In patients who are surgically staged/treated for malignant tumors, the occurrence of perioperative complications results in medical and psychosocial implications potentially compromising oncologic outcomes. Although the potential risk of ureteral damage during hysterectomy has been estimated <1% [1-2], it is reasonable to assume that the greater the complexity of hysterectomy, the higher the risk of ureteral injury. UI may be challenging in women undergoing LH for treatment of gynecologic malignancies diagnosed after previous extensive pelvic surgeries. To date, there is paucity of data concerning the use of ICG for UI during surgeries for gynecologic cancers [3].

The patient was a 59-year-old woman diagnosed with apparent uterine-confined low-grade endometrioid EC. At 30, she underwent fertility-sparing surgery for FIGO₂₀₁₄ stage IA grade 2 endometrioid ovarian cancer (OC). Surgical staging for OC was performed via open laparotomy and included left salpingo-oophorectomy, omentectomy, systematic para-aortic and left-sided pelvic lymphadenectomy. To stage EC, we performed hysterectomy along with salpingo-oophorectomy and sentinel node removal on the right hemi-pelvis, using a 4K-3D near-infrared/ICG videoendoscope. During surgery, the left ureter, which was hard to identify in white-light mode, was instilled with ICG. For intraureteral instillation, a 5-Fr open-ended ureteral catheter was inserted via rigid cystoscopy. Five milliliters of 2.5-mg/mL ICG was injected as the catheter was slowly withdrawn from 15 cm down to the ureteral orifice. Neither intra- nor post-operative complications occurred. Final pathology showed a FIGO₂₀₂₃ stage IB_mNSMP low-grade endometrioid EC.

This video may contribute to the standardization of a procedure to be used in cases of difficult UI to maximize the safety of surgery needed to stage/treat gynecologic malignancies.