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IONM OVERVIEW
Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) is a real-time
assessment of neurological function involving the spinal cord
and related nerve structures during surgical procedures. IONM
is commonly conducted in the operating room during neurosurgery,
spinal surgery and neurovascular surgery. Complex, multimodality
monitoring can facilitate the surgical procedure.
- Using IONM, an ORIMtec-trained neurotechnologist
(NT) can assure the surgeon that nerve integrity remains
intact at critical junctures or alert the surgeon to compromising
situations should they occur.
- Failure to address nerve compromise may
result in irreversible neurological damage, exposing the
patient, surgeon and hospital to significant risk.
- Armed with information about changes
in the conduction of electrical impulses, the surgeon can
take appropriate corrective action before neurological injury
becomes permanent.
Surgical monitoring by a well-trained neuromonitoring
team benefits not only the surgeon, but also the hospital
and insurance companies by:
- Allowing surgeons to complete more aggressive
surgeries safely.
- Enabling hospitals to reduce risks and
costs and better utilize operating room time.
- Lowering payor health-care costs by reducing
the number of second surgeries, therapies, scans, and prescriptions
that may be necessary when desired outcomes are not achieved.
Most importantly, IONM allows surgeons and
hospitals to provide patients with the best possible care
so that they can experience a better quality of life through
enhanced surgical outcomes.
Because IONM is an evolving technology,
the service may not yet enjoy the endorsement of all practicing
surgeons unless they are aware of continuing developments
such as transcranial electric motor stimulation. However,
a considerable amount of medical literature exists regarding
the value of IONM and quantifies morbidity rates with and
without monitoring.
(Please refer to the website sections
labeled ABSTRACTS
and CASE
STUDIES for
more information on surgical monitoring and links to related
publications, including
those mentioned above.)
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