Identification of the Segmental Bronchus Using Indocyanine Green During Thoracoscopic Segmentectomy

Abstract

Pulmonary segmentectomy is an established surgical procedure for early-stage lung cancer and metastatic tumors. However, performing complex segmentectomies is challenging owing to the deep intraparenchymal localization of hilar structures and anatomic variations. Moreover, particular attention should be paid to avoid intraoperative bronchial misidentification. The surgeon can consider enhancing the precision of segmentectomy by marking the segmental bronchus preoperatively. Herein, we report a simple technique that employs indocyanine green to identify the segmental bronchus during pulmonary segmentectomy.