Endoscope-integrated indocyanine green video-angiography for cerebral aneurysm surgery: a more effective technique

Abstract Introduction: Microscope-integrated indocyanine green video-angiography (mICG-VA) is used as an adjunct to aneurysm surgery in checking for small compromised perforating arteries and the remnant of an aneurysmal neck. A limitation of mICG-VA is the inability to access the deep area where small vessels are located behind the aneurysm sac or the parent artery. The endoscope-integrated ICG-VA (eICG-VA) is not only a tool in obtaining a wide angle of surgical view, but also is a technique to detect real-time blood flow during aneurysm clipping. Methods: Patients with an unruptured cerebral aneurysm who had conventional endoscope-assisted microsurgery and eICG-VA were enrolled. We compared the efficacy and additional details of imaging from both types of procedures. Results: The data of seven patients were reviewed. In two cases of small perforating arteries that were hidden by the aneurysm sacs, more details were detected by eICG-VA. While the performance of the conventional technique was limited, the eICG-VA revealed a wide view in the deep area during aneurysm clipping. Conclusion: The eICG-VA provides more details of the aneurysm, especially in small perforating vessels that were hidden by the aneurysm. It can resolve the limitations of the conventional endoscope and mICG-VA.