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Here you can find answers to some of our most-asked questions. If your specific question isn’t answered here, please feel free to contact us.
A: A minimum of two of our staff members work together to perform the Intraoperative Monitoring. The first staff member is a Neurotechnologist who is with the patient in the operating room, and the other member is a physician who reviews the data via real time over the Internet.
A: The following tests are conducted with Intraoperative Monitoring.
Somatosensory Evoked Potentials (SSEPs)
An electrical signal created by applying stimulus to the nerves in the extremities and recorded by using electrodes placed on the scalp in order to ensure no changes occur to the posterior spinal column during surgery.
Transcranial Motor Evoked Potentials (TcMEPs)
Monitors the anterior function of the spinal cord during surgery by introducing stimulus on the scalp and recording muscle responses in the extremities that correlate to the levels of the spine being operated on.
Electromyography (EMG)
Records muscle activity related to external stimulus to nerves and nerve roots during surgery to identify potential risks to nerves and help prevent permanent damage.
Pedicle Screw Testing
When screws are inserted into vertebrae during spine surgery, a probe is used to add direct stimulus to the screws to ensure no damage is done to the pedicle, helping prevent nerve irritation or nerve root impingement.
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
Monitors the integrity of the brain by using multiple electrodes placed at specific locations on the scalp that can detect blood flow to the brain and levels of brain activity.
Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potentials (BAEPs)
A response recorded from using an auditory stimulus sent through the ear canal that records brainstem function as well as ensures the auditory nerve does not become damaged during surgical manipulation.
Nerve Conduction Study
Used to determine whether a neural pathway is intact and operating correctly. An electrical impulse is applied to the nerve and the response is recorded from a correlating muscle.
A: Your well-informed surgeon wants the most advanced, state-of-the-art technology to assist him/her in achieving the best outcome for your procedure by utilizing real time testing of nerve functions.
A: Our technologist will take a brief history before you go into the operating room and answer any questions you may have. The technologist will then place a series of sticky electrodes at several points along your nerve pathway, and additional electrodes will be attached in the operating room when you are asleep. All of these electrodes will collect data during the surgery which is sent to our physician off-site to review and analyze. For any issue that may arise, our technologist and physician can communicate instantly to the surgeon.
A: Having a technologist in the operating room allows the surgeon to focus all of his attention on the surgery and not reading data and reports.
A: PVD Neuromonitoring provides remote physician supervision as an integral part of its service. It’s like having another doctor in the operating room. This physician is interpreting the data from the technologist in real time. This is very important since many medical conditions can affect the quality of the results (i.e., types of anesthesia, medications and patient health history).
A: Your insurance carrier pays for the costs associated with IONM. This amount depends on your specific carrier and your insurance plan. The relatively inexpensive cost of IONM services against the high cost of postoperative and rehabilitative long term care for a patient who experiences neurologic complications as a result of surgery is vital.
Contact your representative above
Main Office : 469 560 9154
Email us: info@pviom.com
Headquarters:
4099 McEwen Road,
Suite 550 – Farmers Branch, TX 7524