Monitoring techniques for prevention of procedure-related ischemic damage in aneurysm surgery

To describe the application of intraoperative monitoring techniques during aneurysm surgery and to discuss the advantages and limitations of these techniques in prevention of postoperative neurologic deficits.

Articles found in the literature through PubMed for the time frame 1980-2011 and the authors' personal files were reviewed.

Various techniques for detection of vascular insufficiency are available, including direct methods to measure cerebral blood flow and indirect methods to evaluate the integrity of neurologic pathways.

The choice of monitoring modality should be governed by the vessel and by the vascular territory most at risk during the planned procedure with proper awareness of the potential limits related to each technique. Aneurysm surgery monitoring should help to address issues of continuity and provide a morphologic and functional assessment. Although the use of monitoring devices is still not routine in aneurysm surgery and no standards have been established, combining different monitoring techniques is crucial to optimize aneurysm surgery and avoid or minimize complications.