For Patients
State of the Art Technology designed to make your surgery as safe as possible
What is IOM?
Intra-Operative Neurophysiological Monitoring or IOM is real-time assessment of the function of the brain, spinal cord, and or nerves during any procedure that places these structures at risk. IOM Solutions uses the latest biomedical technology to enable the safest approach to a wide variety of neurological surgical procedures. Our neurophysiologists provide immediate, precise, real-time feedback to the surgeon as the procedure progresses to ensure favorable outcomes for you.
IOM uses recordings of bioelectrical signals from the nervous system during surgery. The goal of IOM is to reduce neurological morbidity from surgical manipulations. IOM offers real-time, early detection of potential damage to important neural structures to avoid postoperative neurologic deficits.
The use of IOM has placed control of surgical outcomes in the hands of the surgeon. In tumor resections, for example, not only is IOM an effective tool for localizing anatomic structures around tumor borders, but also gives freedom to the surgeon to correctly judge how much tumor to resect while maintaining the functional integrity of the surrounding neural tissue.
What Can I Expect as a Patient?
One of our neurophysiology clinicians, under the supervision of a physician, meets you on the day of the surgery to describe and explain the tests ordered by the surgeon. After you are fully asleep under anesthesia, the technologist places electrodes in specific parts of your body to permit comprehensive, real-time monitoring of your nervous system.
IOM is painless with little to no risks. Your neurophysiologist and surgeon will discuss with you before your surgery all considerations and benefits for your particular surgery.
Baseline values are obtained prior to the beginning of the surgery. As the surgery progresses, the technologist, under the guidance and supervision of a reading physician, provides real-time feedback to the surgeon with respect to any deviation of signals from their baseline values. Based on such communication, corrective action is taken by the surgeon, if needed, to avoid any postoperative neurologic deficits.
Why Should My Surgeon Use IOM During My Surgery?
IOM has become the gold standard of care for all surgeries that place the brain, spinal cord, and nerves in jeopardy. Surgeries from neck and back spine surgery, to brain tumor resections, to thyroid and carotid surgeries all benefit from real-time feedback IOM provides.
IOM has been shown to improve patient outcomes by reducing the likelihood of neurological deficits, including muscle weakness, paralysis, impaired hearing, and the loss of other normal body functions, following high-risk surgeries. Ask your doctor if they have ordered intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring through IOM Solutions for your surgery.
Your safety is our goal!