UC San Diego opens new Center for Fluorescence-Guided Surgery

Editor's Note

The Center for Fluorescence-Guided Surgery at UC San Diego Health is the first in the country dedicated to delivering a new caliber of surgical accuracy that allows surgeons to identify cancerous or critical tissues with GPS-like precision by lighting them up, the December 5 UC San Diego Health Sciences News reports.

Fluorescence-guided surgery is performed by injecting contrast agents or targeted imaging probes into patients just before surgery. Cancer cells light up under specialized cameras and light sources used by surgeons, allowing for more precise resection.

The enhanced visualization can be used in open, laparoscopic, and robotic surgical procedures to identify important structures and blood flow in tissues.

As fluorescence imaging evolves, more targeted molecules will be developed and designed to individual patients’ disease profiles, the authors say.