Fluorescence Image-Guided Lymphadenectomy in Robotic Gastrectomy

Gastric cancer is a worldwide challenge due to its spread, even epidemic in some areas, and the high mortality rates. Lymphadenectomy is considered the fundamental step during radical gastrectomy. In recent years, some researchers have tried to find a way to improve the surgical identification of the lymphatic drainage routes and lymph node stations. This new surgical frontier is the so called "navigation surgery". Among the different reported solutions, lately, the indocyanine green (ICG) has drawn attention. It is a fluorescence dye, that can be detected in the near infrared spectral band (NIR). The development of specific fluorescence imaging devices has allowed surgeons to visualize tumors, vascular and lymphatic structures. The Da Vinci Xi robotic system has an integrated imaging technology that has been used in colo-rectal and hepato-biliary surgery. However, up to date, the combined use of fluorescence imaging and robotic technology has not been evaluated during lymphadenectomy in gastric cancer. The general design of the present study is to evaluate the role of fluorescence imaging during robotic lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer.