Medicine continues to make great strides in protecting people just like you during surgery. Today, your surgeon and anesthesiologist have many more tools and techniques than ever before to monitor your condition to keep you safe.

But surgeries that concern your central nervous system, brain and spine, for example present unique challenges and risks because they involve the system that allows you sensation and movement. It is very difficult to tell if these sensitive areas are being injured while you are asleep. This is why surgeons frequently choose to provide the added protection of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) during these types of surgeries.

IONM for brain, spine and nerve-related surgeries.
Your nervous system identifies and interprets incoming sensory stimuli and produces movement by generating electrical impulses. These impulses are spread throughout your body by nerves that are located outside your brain and spinal cord. These nerves stimulate your muscles allowing you to move and react. So, injury to the nervous system could lead to loss of sensation and movement.

IONM helps your surgeon see a clearer picture of how your nervous system is working during surgery. Most important, it lets your surgeon evaluate the condition of the part of the nervous system around which s/he is operating. This allows for a quick response to any sign of potential injury. Electrodes are strategically placed on your body to monitor brain waves that are produced in response to various stimuli like tiny electrical pulses to the peripheral nerves, flashes of light to the eyes or clicks of sound to the ears. Muscles are also monitored for electrical activity that might suggest injury to the nerve supplying them.

IONM is indicated or available for various different surgery types. Just click on a surgery type on the left to get summary information about how IONM is used in that procedure.

This data is provided for informational purposes only. It does not substitute for individualized advice from a qualified physician. Although attempts have been made to ensure the material is accurate and up to date it is provided in an 'as is' state. Neither the author nor Impulse Monitoring Inc. assumes any liability for errors or omissions or any problems that might arise due to them. Always consult your physician or qualified health professional before acting on information that concerns your health.