Fluorescence Lymph Node Mapping for Colon Cancer Surgery

Indocyanine Green (ICG) is used to guide the extent of D3 lymph node dissection during right hemicolectomy. After informed consent, participants randomized to the experimental group undergo bowel preparation and receive an endoscopic submucosal injection of ICG (0.25 mg/ml in saline) at two sites adjacent to the tumor one day prior to surgery. During surgery, near-infrared laparoscopic or robotic imaging systems detect the fluorescence emitted by ICG, guiding targeted D3 lymph node dissection at the origins of the ileocolic artery (ICA) and middle colic artery (MCA).

Participants in the control group undergo standard right hemicolectomy with D3 lymph node dissection without the use of Indocyanine Green (ICG) or fluorescence imaging. The extent of dissection is determined by conventional anatomical landmarks and the surgeon's clinical judgment.