Indocyanine green near-infrared fluorescence bowel perfusion assessment to prevent anastomotic leakage in minimally invasive colorectal surgery (AVOID): a multicentre, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial.

BACKGROUND: Anastomotic leakage is a severe postoperative complication in colorectal surgery and compromised bowel perfusion is considered a major contributing factor. Conventional methods to assess bowel perfusion have a low predictive value for anastomotic leakage. We therefore aimed to evaluate the efficacy of real-time assessment with near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging with indocyanine green (ICG) in the prevention of anastomotic leakage. METHODS: This multicentre, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial was done in eight hospitals in the Netherlands. We included adults (aged >18 years) who were scheduled for laparoscopic or robotic colorectal surgery (with planned primary anastomosis) for benign and malignant diseases. Preoperatively, patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to fluorescence-guided bowel anastomosis (FGBA) or conventional bowel anastomosis (CBA) by variable block randomisation (block sizes 4, 6, and 8) and stratified by site. The operating surgeon and investigators analysing the data were not masked to group assignment. Patients were unmasked after the surgical procedure or after study end. In the FGBA group, surgeons marked anastomosis levels per conventional perfusion assessment and then administered 5 mg of ICG by 2 mL intravenous bolus. They assessed bowel perfusion using NIR fluorescence imaging and adjusted (or kept) transection lines accordingly. Only conventional methods for bowel perfusion assessment were used in the CBA group. The primary outcome was the difference in the rate of clinically relevant anastomotic leakage (ie, requiring active therapeutic intervention but manageable without reoperation [grade B] or requiring reoperation [grade C], per the International Study Group of Rectal Cancer) between the FGBA group and the CBA group within 90 days post-surgery. The primary outcome and safety were assessed in the intention-to-treat population. This study was registered with ToetsingOnline.nl (NL7502) and ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04712032) and is complete. FINDINGS: Between July 2, 2020, and Feb 21, 2023, 982 patients were enrolled, of whom 490 were assigned to FGBA and 492 were assigned to CBA. After excluding 51 patients, the intention-to-treat population comprised 931 (463 assigned FGBA and 468 assigned CBA). Patients had a median age of 68·0 years (IQR 59·0-75·0) and 485 (52%) were male and 446 (48%) were female. Ethnicity data were not available. The overall 90-day rate of clinically relevant anastomotic leakage was not significantly different between the FGBA group (32 [7%] of 463 patients) and the CBA group (42 [9%] of 468 patients; relative risk 0·77 [95% CI 0·50-1·20]; p=0·24). No adverse events related to ICG use were observed. 313 serious adverse events in 229 (25%) patients were at 90-day follow-up (159 serious adverse events in 113 [24%] patients in the FGBA group and 154 serious adverse events in 116 [25%] patients in the CBA group). 18 (2%) people died by 90 days (ten in the FGBA group and eight in the CBA group). INTERPRETATION: ICG NIR fluorescence imaging did not reduce 90-day anastomotic leakage rates in this trial across all types of colorectal surgeries. Further research should be done in subgroups, such as rectosigmoid resections, for which evidence suggests ICG NIR might be beneficial. FUNDING: Olympus Medical, Diagnostic Green, and Intuitive Foundation.

Prolonged antibiotic prophylaxis after pancreatoduodenectomy: systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported conflicting results of prolonged antibiotic prophylaxis on infectious complications after pancreatoduodenectomy. This study evaluated the effect of prolonged antibiotics on surgical-site infections (SSIs) after pancreatoduodenectomy. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis was undertaken of SSIs in patients with perioperative (within 24 h) versus prolonged antibiotic (over 24 h) prophylaxis after pancreatoduodenectomy. SSIs were classified as organ/space infections or superficial SSI within 30 days after surgery. ORs were calculated using a Mantel-Haenszel fixed-effect model. RESULTS: Ten studies were included in the qualitative analysis, of which 8 reporting on 1170 patients were included in the quantitative analysis. The duration of prolonged antibiotic prophylaxis varied between 2 and 10 days after surgery. Four studies reporting on 782 patients showed comparable organ/space infection rates in patients receiving perioperative and prolonged antibiotics (OR 1.35, 95 per cent c.i. 0.94 to 1.93). However, among patients with preoperative biliary drainage (5 studies reporting on 577 patients), organ/space infection rates were lower with prolonged compared with perioperative antibiotics (OR 2.09, 1.43 to 3.07). Three studies (633 patients) demonstrated comparable superficial SSI rates between patients receiving perioperative versus prolonged prophylaxis (OR 1.54, 0.97 to 2.44), as well as in patients with preoperative biliary drainage in 4 studies reporting on 431 patients (OR 1.60, 0.89 to 2.88). CONCLUSION: Prolonged antibiotic prophylaxis is associated with fewer organ/space infection in patients who undergo preoperative biliary drainage. However, the optimal duration of antibiotic prophylaxis after pancreatoduodenectomy remains to be determined and warrants confirmation in an RCT.

Almost 40 in 100 patients develop an infection after pancreatic surgery. This study collected research that studied the effect of prolonged antibiotics after pancreatic surgery on the number of infections after surgery. Research articles were selected if patients who received antibiotics only during surgery were compared with those who had prolonged antibiotics after surgery. Prolonged antibiotics means antibiotics for longer than 24 h after surgery. Comparing patients who had antibiotics during surgery and those who received prolonged antibiotics after surgery, this study focused on the number of abdominal infections and wound infections. Ten studies were selected, and these studies included 1170 patients in total. The duration of prolonged antibiotics ranged from 2 to 5 days after pancreatic surgery. Four studies (with 782 patients) showed comparable abdominal infections in patients who had antibiotics only during surgery and those who had prolonged antibiotics after surgery (OR 1.35, 95 per cent c.i. 0.94 to 1.93). However, for patients with a stent in the bile duct (5 studies on 577 patients), fewer abdominal infections were seen in patients who had prolonged antibiotics after surgery compared with patients who received antibiotics only during surgery (OR 2.09, 1.43 to 3.07). Three studies (633 patients) showed the same rate of wound infections in patients who had antibiotics only during surgery compared with those who received prolonged antibiotics after operation (OR 1.54, 0.97 to 2.44). The number of wound infections was also the same in patients with a stent in the bile duct (OR 1.60, 0.89 to 2.88). Prolonged antibiotics after pancreatic surgery seem to lower abdominal infections in patients who have a stent placed in the bile duct. However, the best duration of antibiotics is unclear; a decent study is needed.

Prolonged antibiotics after pancreatoduodenectomy reduce abdominal infections in patients with positive bile cultures: a dual-center cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Abdominal infections account for substantial morbidity after pancreatoduodenectomy. Contaminated bile is the presumed main risk factor, and prolonged antibiotic prophylaxis might prevent these complications. This study compared organ/space infection (OSIs) rates in patients receiving perioperative versus prolonged antibiotic prophylaxis after pancreatoduodenectomy. METHODS: Patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy in two Dutch centers between 2016 and 2019 were included. Perioperative prophylaxis was compared prolonged prophylaxis (cefuroxime and metronidazole for five days). The primary outcome was an isolated OSI: an abdominal infection without concurrent anastomotic leakage. Odds ratios (OR) were adjusted for surgical approach and pancreatic duct diameter. RESULTS: OSIs occurred in 137 out of 362 patients (37.8%): 93 patients with perioperative and 44 patients with prolonged prophylaxis (42.5% versus 30.8%, P = 0.025). Isolated OSIs occurred in 38 patients (10.5%): 28 patients with perioperative and 10 patients with prolonged prophylaxis (12.8% versus 7.0%, P = 0.079). Bile cultures were obtained in 198 patients (54.7%). Patients with positive bile cultures showed higher isolated OSI rates with perioperative compared to prolonged prophylaxis (18.2% versus 6.6%, OR 5.7, 95% CI: 1.3-23.9). CONCLUSION: Prolonged antibiotics after pancreatoduodenectomy are associated with fewer isolated OSIs in patients with contaminated bile and warrant confirmation in a randomised controlled trial (Clinicaltrials.gov NCT0578431).

Clinical implications of bile cultures obtained during pancreatoduodenectomy: a cohort study and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The association between intraoperative bile cultures and infectious complications after pancreatoduodenectomy remains unclear. This cohort study and meta-analysis aimed to determine the predictive role of intraoperative bile cultures in abdominal infectious complications after pancreatoduodenectomy. METHODS: The cohort study included 114 patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy. Regression analyses were used to estimate the odds to develop an organ space infection (OSI) or isolated OSI (OSIs without a simultaneous complication potentially contaminating the intraabdominal space) after a positive bile culture. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed on abdominal infectious complications (Mantel-Haenszel fixed-effect model). RESULTS: The positive bile culture rate was 61%, predominantly in patients after preoperative biliary drainage (98% vs 26%, p < 0.001). OSIs occurred in 35 patients (31%) and isolated OSIs in nine patients (8%) and were not associated with positive bile cultures (OSIs: odds ratio = 0.6, 95% CI = 0.25-1.23, isolated OSIs: odds ratio = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.20-3.04). In the meta-analysis, 15 studies reporting on 2047 patients showed no association between positive bile cultures and abdominal infectious complications (pooled odds ratio = 1.3, 95% CI = 0.98-1.65). CONCLUSION: Given the rare occurrence of isolated OSIs and similar odds for patients with positive and negative bile cultures to develop abdominal infectious complications, routine performance of bile cultures should be reconsidered.