Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging with Intraoperative Administration of Indocyanine Green for Robotic Partial Nephrectomy

Near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging with intraoperative administration of indocyanine green (ICG) is a technology with emerging applications in urologic surgery. ICG is a water-soluble dye that fluoresces bright green when viewed under near-infrared light (700–1000 nm). This technology has been applied to robotic partial nephrectomy, first to potentially allow for the differentiation of renal tumor from normal parenchyma. In this application, it has been hypothesized that normal kidney tissue fluoresces green, while the tumor commonly remains hypofluorescent, thereby aiding tumor excision. Secondly, NIRF imaging with ICG has been employed to facilitate selective arterial clamping during robotic partial nephrectomy, allowing for a regional perfusion deficit in the kidney to be readily identified and therefore targeted at a given tumor. Recent studies have shown the associated decrease in global ischemia to minimize resultant loss of renal function at certain time endpoints. This review presents the most recent studies and evidence on the intraoperative administration of indocyanine green for robotic partial nephrectomy.