Yichuan Fan, Chi Zhang, Pin Liang, Xiang Hu
BACKGROUND: Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging with indocyanine green (ICG) has been recently introduced for lymphatic mapping in robotic gastrectomy. METHODS: Sixty-two patients with early gastric cancer (EGC) were divided into three groups, namely ICG-guided robotic group (G1; n = 18), conventional robotic group (G2; n = 24), and laparoscopic control group (control; n = 20). The primary endpoints were retrieved LNs, surgical outcomes, and postoperative complications. RESULTS: The G1 group retrieved more total LNs than the other two groups; however, this difference was not statistically significant (19.8 vs. 16.1 vs. 16.9, p = 0.197). However, there were statistical differences in perigastric LNs (15 vs. 10.5 vs. 11, p = 0.010). The G1 group had shorter surgical time than G2 (260 vs. 300 min, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: ICG guided technology aids in achieving a more precise regional LN dissection during robotic gastrectomy for EGC, and is a valuable advancement for gastric cancer surgery. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2500106082).