The British journal of surgery
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Meta Analysis
Intraoperative bowel perfusion assessment methods and their effects on anastomotic leak rates: meta-analysis.
Anastomotic leak is one of the most feared complications of colorectal surgery, and probably linked to poor blood supply to the anastomotic site. Several technologies have been described for intraoperative assessment of bowel perfusion. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the most frequently used bowel perfusion assessment modalities in elective colorectal procedures, and to assess their associated risk of anastomotic leak. Technologies included indocyanine green fluorescence angiography, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, laser speckle contrast imaging, and hyperspectral imaging. ⋯ Bowel perfusion assessment reduced the incidence of anastomotic leak, with intraoperative indocyanine green fluorescence angiography, hyperspectral imaging, and laser speckle contrast imaging all demonstrating comparable results.