It may seem surprising, but more and more people are getting their colon tattooed by a doctor. This medical technique is called “Laparoscopic tattoo”makes it possible, during surgical intervention, to identify the lesions to be monitored.

retractable needle

“The lesions in the colon are often very flat and very fine, and it is necessary to tattoo them so that the specialist who intervenes can find them later,” Dr. Benalla explains.

“Tattooing is useful when you want to tell the surgeon the location of the lesion (tumor, dyolavoy ulcer, etc.), or to observe the dysplasia area endoscopically, for example”, Dr. Barbier adds. “Only Indian ink is effective. It must be sterilized, filtered and diluted in equal parts with 0.9% physiological solution. It is injected indirectly into the submucosal layer by means of a retractable needle,” continued.

new ink

This technique is also in full progress. And so the new colon tattoo ink was introduced at the recent meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). The researchers behind this formula hope to improve its resistance, because the substance currently in use can seep past the lesion in question and lead to peritonitis or abscesses.

So far, the product has only been tested on intestinal tissue from pigs and mice, but the researchers hope their advances can soon be applied to humans. “This innovative ink can help to safely remove complex polyps or tumors as well as better identify them, and it’s not just about colon cancer.”says Dr. Banala. “We can also use it to identify growths and tumors anywhere in the intestine, even in the pancreas,” He is excited.