Illuminate hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery using optical molecular imaging methods

Since the concept of molecular imaging was put forward in 1999, optical molecular imaging techniques have been widely applied in the field of biomedical and clinical research. Its unique application value is especially shown in hepatobiliary surgery, such as in liver tumor imaging, anatomical liver resection, liver transplant angiography, cholangiography, and bile or pancreatic leakage prevention. Optical molecular imaging technique"lights up"targeted areas in surgical operations and provides convenience in carrying out precision operation. This paper reviewed the advantages of optical molecular imaging technology in clinical research and discussed its limitations in translational surgery, and put forward possible directions in improvement for the future. Key words: Optical molecular imaging; Liver surgery; Intraoperative fluorescence image-guided surgery; Indocyanine green