Intraoperative real-time assessment of blood flow using indocyanine green angiography after anastomoses in free-flap reconstructions

Indocyanine green (ICG) is a cyanine dye generally used in liver function tests. It emits near-infrared fluorescence, and can be detected in the body by specific charged-coupled device cameras.1 This technique, called ICG angiography, allows real-time imaging of the bloodstream. In reconstructive surgery ICG angiography can confirm the presence of penetrating vessel branches, particularly in flaps for breast reconstruction, and evaluation of the bloodstream during kidney transplantation.2,3 However, we know of only one report of its use in free flaps in head and neck surgery.

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