Highlights
- •Acute mesenteric ischemia is a common surgical emergency.
- •The current methods of bowel assessment are lacking.
- •Review of methods to evaluate bowel viability.
- •New emerging techniques to aid in decision making intraoperatively.
Abstract
Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) is a deadly and common surgical emergency. While several
imaging modalities aid in the diagnosis of AMI preoperatively, there are limited intraoperative
tools for surgeon decision making regarding bowel viability. Here we offer a review
of the utility and limitations of the many extensively studied techniques. We classify
each of these modalities into three hallmarks of healthy bowel: oxygenation, myoelectric
activity and perfusion. Finally, we offer a brief discussion of emerging and promising
techniques to assist surgeons in intraoperative decision making for patients with
mesenteric ischemia.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 25, 2020
Accepted:
January 22,
2020
Received in revised form:
January 22,
2020
Received:
November 21,
2019
Identification
Copyright
© 2020 Published by Elsevier Inc.
