# Intrabiliary injection of indocyanine green dye (ICG) versus intravenous injection for patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy for symptomatic gallbladder diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis

## TL;DR

This study compares two methods of using a fluorescent dye during gallbladder surgery and finds no major difference in biliary structure visualization, but notes differences in liver fluorescence and operation time.

## Contribution

The study provides a meta-analysis comparing intrabiliary and intravenous ICG injection for biliary visualization during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

## Key findings

- Intrabiliary and intravenous ICG injection provided comparable biliary structure visualization.
- Liver fluorescence was significantly higher with intravenous injection.
- Operative time was longer with intrabiliary injection.

## Abstract

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is associated with the risk of iatrogenic biliary structure injury. Therefore, indocyanine green fluorescence dye is used to provide better visualization of the different biliary structures to avoid this type of injury. However, there is still a debate regarding the best route of ICG administration—either intrabiliary or intravenous. This meta-analysis aims to compare the two techniques in terms of biliary structure visualization, bile duct injury rate, and operative time.

We conducted the meta-analysis following the PRISMA 2020 checklist, and the protocol was prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251078787) on 22 June 2025. We systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library for clinical studies comparing the two techniques of dye injection. We included English-language clinical studies of any design (randomized controlled trials, prospective, retrospective, and case-control designs) published up to May 2025 that met our predefined eligibility criteria. Screening of eligible studies was conducted using Ryyan software. Data were extracted and analyzed using RevMan software version 5.4.1. We performed subgroup analyses based on study design. We assessed the quality of included studies using the risk of bias 2 tool (ROB 2) and the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS). The certainty of evidence for all primary outcomes was appraised using the GRADE approach.

Four studies with a sample size of 178 patients were included: two retrospective studies, one randomized controlled trial, and one case-control study. Of these, 86 patients (48.3%) received intrabiliary ICG injection and 92 (51.7%) received intravenous injection. No significant differences were found between the two groups regarding biliary anatomy visualization before or after dissection of Calot’s triangle, including cystic duct (CD), common bile duct (CBD), and common hepatic duct (CHD) visualization (all p > 0.05). Liver fluorescence was significantly higher in the intravenous group (RR = 0.08, 95% CI 0.03–0.21, p < 0.00001). Operative time was significantly longer in the intrabiliary group (MD = 8.80 min, 95% CI 1.05–16.56, p = 0.03). No cases of bile duct injury were reported in either group. According to GRADE, the certainty of evidence across all primary outcomes was rated as very low.

This meta-analysis explored the hypothesis that the route of indocyanine green (ICG) injection may influence biliary visualization during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Intrabiliary and intravenous injections provided comparable visualization, with differences observed in liver fluorescence and operative time; lower liver fluorescence with intrabiliary injection may enhance visual clarity, while operative time was slightly longer. The outcome “bile duct injury” remains non-informative, as no events occurred in either group, precluding any comparative inference. Given the very low certainty of evidence due to study limitations, small sample sizes, few events, heterogeneity, and imprecision, these findings are hypothesis-generating only, and larger, well-designed randomized trials are needed to confirm their clinical relevance.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12893-026-03529-4.