Use of Intraoperative Indocyanine Green fluorescent imaging in canine and feline soft tissue surgery.
Objective in three field of research: use of Near Infrared Fluorescence with Indocyanine green (NIRF-ICG) in dogs and cats:
1) sentinel lymph node mapping
2) Intraoperative visualization of tumor margins
3) ex vivo lymphography anatomical study
The present project aims to investigate the feasibility and usefulness of the Near infrared fluorescence technique with indocyanine green (NIRF – ICG) in the real time intraoperative management of the major challenges of dog and cat oncological surgery: the identification of tumor margins and the search and removal of the sentinel lymph node (SLN).
As part of the increasingly studied SLN mapping, this project is the first in veterinary medicine to combine and compare NIRF-ICG technology with scintigraphy in the pre- and intra operative SLN mapping and removal protocol, in particular in head and neck tumors.
Furthermore, in the context of better surgical management of tumors, this project wants to test NIRF – ICG capability to give better real time intraoperative visualization of tumor margins, in order to guide the surgeon in its excision.
Finally, given the paucity of data regarding the canine lymphatic system and given its role in the comparative anatomical study for the human lymphatic system, this project aims to deepen the knowledge on the lymphatic drainage of some anatomical regions (in particular head and neck and hind limb) in which it can be unpredictable, starting from the cadavers of healthy animals.
DMV in Veterinary medicine at University of Milan (UNIMI) in 2020.
Medical Assistance Service and support for the management of the 24-hour Veterinary First Aid / intensive care service at the Small Animal Ward (dog and cat) of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (OVU) from 2020 to 2022.
Voluntary attendance at the clinical / assistance activities of soft tissue surgery and small animal oncology with Prof. Damiano Stefanello from 2020 to 2022.
Author and co-author of some papers published in international journal with impact factor.
Participation as a speaker and co-author of project at national and international conferences.
Deep interest in small animal soft tissue and oncological surgery.
Publications: Orcid; Scopus; IRIS-AIR
Supervisor Prof. Damiano Stefanello
