{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,7]],"date-time":"2026-09-07T18:28:58Z","timestamp":1788805738210,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,5,13]],"date-time":"2022-05-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1652400000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Cancers"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: In rectal cancer surgery, anastomotic leakage (AL) remains the most feared complication, with a frequency of up to 30% in non-high-volume centers. The preservation of proper vascularization is a key factor for successful anastomosis. The use of fluorescence with indocyanine green (ICG) as an intraoperative method to verify optimal perfusion is becoming an interesting tool in rectal surgery. Today, robotic surgery, together with the use of the intraoperative evaluation of the perfusion with ICG, could be a real strategy to deal with AL, allowing for a more delicate and less traumatic surgical technique. This strategy may allow for an extremely accurate surgery, and for optimal control of the proper vascularization of the rectum. Methods: The purpose of this descriptive review is to analyze the impact of fluorescence and robotic surgery on short-term surgical outcomes for rectal cancer. Results: We performed a systematic literature search using the PubMed, Embase and Cochrane library databases. The primary endpoints were to evaluate the application of ICG fluorescence in robotic rectal surgery and the rate of anastomotic leakage when using these technological implementations. The secondary endpoints were to evaluate the dosage of ICG and the timing of application by different surgeons. Conclusions: ICG fluorescence is an inexpensive and quick method to assess bowel perfusion, providing immediate feedback to the surgeon, even if its role has not been proven. A quantitative system must be systematically introduced to minimize the subjectiveness of the visualized image.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/cancers14102411","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,5,13]],"date-time":"2022-05-13T08:37:02Z","timestamp":1652431022000},"page":"2411","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":17,"title":["The Role of Indocyanine Green Fluorescence in Rectal Cancer Robotic Surgery: A Narrative Review"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Elena","family":"Belloni","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Oncologic Colorectal Surgical Unit and Robotic Surgery Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3562-0392","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Edoardo Maria","family":"Muttillo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Oncologic Colorectal Surgical Unit and Robotic Surgery Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Salomone","family":"Di Saverio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of General Surgery, ASUR Marche, AV5, Hospital of San Benedetto del Tronto, 63074 San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marcello","family":"Gasparrini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Oncologic Colorectal Surgical Unit and Robotic Surgery Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Antonio","family":"Brescia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Oncologic Colorectal Surgical Unit and Robotic Surgery Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7656-7789","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giuseppe","family":"Nigri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Oncologic Colorectal Surgical Unit and Robotic Surgery Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,5,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.3322\/caac.21654","article-title":"Cancer Statistics, 2021","volume":"71","author":"Siegel","year":"2021","journal-title":"CA Cancer J. 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