Evaluation of skin perfusion by use of indocyanine green video angiography: Rational design and planning of trauma surgery.

BACKGROUND A very important aspect in the treatment of traumatic injuries is to determine the extent of skin involvement. Traditionally, this has involved clinical examinations, a more or less subjective technique. Therefore, various techniques, supplementing the clinical diagnosis, have been suggested, but none has yet achieved widespread clinical acceptance. Experiments have shown that the blood flow in injured tissue indicates the extent of tissue damage. METHODS The clinical and scientific impact of Indocyanine green (ICG) video angiographies was tested in 40 patients. All kinds of depth and all kinds of causes of injury were included and analyzed. RESULTS In all cases, it was possible to perform the ICG video angiography. Qualitative and quantitative measurements and observations correlated well with the extent and depth of the skin lesion, which was determined clinically (pre- and intraoperative assessment) and histologically (biopsies). CONCLUSION Based on our experiences, we think that the ICG video angiography seems to be a very sensible and user-friendly device to detect the vascular patency of the skin. Our results indicate that laser induced ICG fluorescence angiography is a practical, accurate, and effective adjunct to clinical methods for evaluating skin perfusion and thereby, helpful to design and plan surgery.