Intraoperative Ultrasound: Applications in Digestive Surgery

Ultrasound has its well-established role in the diagnosis guidelines of abdominal pathology, being widely used in the internal medicine, gastroenterology and emergency services. Its use in surgery is best known trough FAST protocols (focused abdominal sonogram for trauma) [13], very important in the management of patients presenting with abdominal trauma or suspected acute abdomen. Under elective conditions, conventional transabdominal ultrasonography has a high sensitivity and specificity in the detection of benign formations located mainly in the parenchymal organs: liver or splenic cysts, hemangioma, etc. [4-6]. In case of neoplasia, the ultrasound provides diagnostic guidance informations about intra-abdominal organs, the preoperative staging being mostly done by computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations [7,8].