[Use of indocyanine green angiography in reconstructive surgery: Brief review]

Background: The success of flap surgery is highly dependant of vascularisation, according to the principle of dermal and subdermal perfusion. This principle requires compatible dimensions for the survival of the flap. Indocyanine green angiography (ICG), a technique enabling an assessment of vascularization by fluorescence, has received a considerable impetus during the last two decades. The purpose of this article was to conduct a review on this technique and to evaluate its relevance in flap surgery.

Method: We reviewed all articles referenced on PubMed from 1995 till 2015 using a search combining the terms 'indocyanine green', 'flap', 'near-infrared', 'fluorescence', 'imaging' OR 'angiography'.

Results: One hundred fifty five articles were found and among those thirty-four were selected. ICG is a reliable technique to locate perforants vessels, to determine the outlines of the flat and evaluate its per- and postoperative viability and to appraise anastomoses.

Conclusion: This technique allows a reliable and real-time assessment of potential necrotic areas and an improvement in the detection of complications compared to conventional techniques.