ICG-angiography in evaluation the quality of the full-thickness rectal flap's formation at the surgery treatment of complex rectal fistulas

AIM: evaluation the feasibility of usage ICG-angiography for the full-thickness rectal flap's formation at the surgery treatment of complex rectal fistulas.PATIENTS AND METHODS: a prospective cohort study based on the study of intraoperative ICG-angiography and its video recordings in the surgery treatment of complex pararectal fistulas with bringing down a full-thickness rectal flap was performed. The study included 9 patients: 6(66.7%) - men and 3(33.3%) - women.RESULTS: based on intraoperative ICG-angiography 3 types rectum's angioarchitectonics were identified: with 3, 4 and 5 distal branches of the rectal arteries, respectively. Subsequent detailed chronometry were showed that the time of onset of the arterial phase did not differ significantly, regardless of the formed flap's width. However, the following changes in the venous outflow were identified: at full-thickness flap's width of 1/3 of the rectal circumference, a slight lengthening of the venous outflow was observed, expressed in an increase of the average time for onset of the maximum fluorescence phase to 61.5 sec., compared with the intact rectum (58.2 sec.); at full-thickness flap's width of 1/4 of the rectal circumference - significant (p<0.05) extension of the average time for onset of the phase of maximum fluorescence to 77.6 sec., that is, in 1.26 times compared to patients with flap's width of 1/3 of the rectal circumference.CONCLUSION: at the treatment of complex rectal fistulas with bringing down a full-thickness rectal flap, ICG-angiography makes it possible to visualize the vessels of the rectum at intraoperative condition, which contributes to the selection of the boundaries of the rectal area for the formation of a full-thickness flap, and also allows to assess of its blood supply.