R I Beretvas, J Ponsky
BACKGROUND: In 1975 one of us (J.P.) first described endoscopic marking of the intestinal lumen with india ink to produce a serosal tattoo, thus facilitating the location of lesions during subsequent surgery. The use of the technique in concert with laparoscopic surgery is particularly important because the ability to palpate the bowel is lost. Carbon-based products such as india ink provide permanent marking. An alternative marker is methylene blue, whose mark is only temporary but clearly seen laparoscopically...
October 2001: Surgical Endoscopy