Doctors able to visualise blood flow during surgery for the first time

A good blood flow is important to prevent serious complications. However, surgeons can only guess at the quality of blood flow during surgery. A new invention changes this. Thanks to the new measuring instrument, they can visualise blood flow in tissue and act accordingly, writes University of Groningen in a press release.

The so called PefusiX-Imaging is developed and tested by Wido Heeman, a PhD graduate at the University of Groningen/Campus Fryslân. Heeman was awarded a PhD for his research in December. “Until now, surgeons have had to use subjective markers to estimate the blood flow quality. But with PerfusiX-Imaging, which works on the basis of laser technology, they can rely on an objective image”, says Heeman. For his research, he collaborated with various companies and hospitals in The Netherlands.

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Fewer complications

The PerfusiX-Imaging prototype was tested specifically on intestinal tissue. When operating on intestinal tumours, the tumour is removed and the two intestinal ends are re-joined. In about 7.5 percent of the operations, a complication occurs in which the sutures do not heal properly because of poor blood flow locally. This is called an anastomotic leak. With the help of blood flow images from the PefusiX-Imaging, the surgeon can suture at the most optimal location and thus avoid potential complications such as anastomotic leaks.

The PerfusiX-Imaging was used during clinical studies conducted at the Medical Centre Leeuwarden and the Nij Smellinghe hospital in Drachten. These studies have shown that surgeons would have adjusted the location in 17 percent of the operations based on the PerfusiX-Imaging blood flow images. “Further research is needed to determine whether PerfusiX-Imaging can prevent complications, but the current results are promising”, says Wido Heeman. He hopes the device will be launched on the market next year.

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