Intraoperative Coronary Artery Imaging for Planning

A clear understanding of coronary anatomy is critical in congenital heart surgery, especially when a ventriculotomy is planned, as in right ventricular outflow tract reconstructions and biventricular repairs. Typically, major epicardial coronary arteries are easily identified during first-time operations. However, in reoperative surgery, epicardial adhesions can obscure coronary vessels making their identification challenging. This paper describes the application of intraoperative fluorescence imaging in congenital heart surgery to obtain real-time coronary artery visualization for operative planning in order to avoid coronary injury.
Source: Seminars in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery: Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Annual - Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Source Type: research