With freehand SPECT, SurgicEye provides an imaging solution that can precisely image and localize a sentinel lymph node during surgery. Freehand SPECT provides minimally invasive access to the lymph node as well as a seamless documentation of surgery. SurgicEye’s technology currently promises the highest quality of operation outcome.

As opposed to the three procedures mentioned further below, freehand SPECT offers 3D data directly during surgery and thus a minimally invasive access to lymph nodes. This promises smaller scars, less trauma/morbiditiy, and shorter operation time. Freehand SPECT is a new technology that is currently introduced in two clinics in Germany and Italy aiming at combining all availabe data to ensure an optimal surgery outcome.

Sentinel lymph nodes are currently identified using one or any combination of the following procedures:

Sentinel node imaging: This is usually done in the nuclear medicine department a day prior to or at the same day of the operation. A small amount of radioactive material is injected subcutaneously into the breast around the tumor. This material is carried by lymphatic vessels and accumulates in the sentinel nodes, which can be seen on a nuclear medicine scan (scintigram). The scan only shows the location of the sentinel lymph nodes. It does not show if they contain any tumor cells. The presence of tumor will be verified or excluded by a pathologist. This scintigraphy imaging is possible only directly before surgery. The image data have only limited validity during surgery due to deformation of the breast tumor and healthy tissue.

Blue dye injection: The material is injected around the tumor in the operating room, directly before the incision. This dye stains the sentinel nodes in a blue color. The blue dye may be visible around the operation scar following surgery. Usually, the color fades only after a few weeks or months.

Gamma probe detection: A hand-held probe guides the surgeon to radioactive deposits (SLNs). However, hand-held probes do not offer direct access to the desired nodes, resulting in longer access paths and operation time.