Intraoperative high-field resonance: How to optimize its use in our healthcare system

Intraoperative MRI (ioMRI) consists of performing a MRI during brain or spinal surgery. Although it is a safe and useful technique, it is available in a few hospitals. This means some aspects are not perfectly defined or standardized, forcing each center to develop its own solutions. Our goal is to describe the technique, evaluate the changes made to optimize its use and thus be able to facilitate the intraoperative resonance implementation in other neurosurgery departments.

A prospective analysis of patients consecutively operated using high-field ioMRI guidance was carried out, describing the type of tumor, clinical data, time and sequences of ioMR, use of intraoperative neurophysiology, preoperative tumor volume, after ioMR, and postoperative, as well as complications.

ioMR was performed in 38 patients selected from among 425 brain tumors (9%) operated on in this interval. The tumor types were: 11 glioblastomas, 8 anaplastic astrocytomas, 5 diffuse astrocytomas, 4 meningiomas, 3 oligodendrogliomas, 2 metastases, 2 epidermoid cysts, 1 astroblastoma, 1 arachnoid cyst and 1 pituitary adenoma. The mean age was 45 years. The mean preoperative tumor volume was 45.22cc, after the ioMR 5.08cc and postoperative 1.28cc. Resection was extended after ioMR in 76%. Gross total resection was achieved in 15 patients and residual tumor of less than 1cc was observed in 8. An intentional tumor tissue was left in an eloquent brain region (mean volume 7cc) in 13 patients. Bleeding and ischemia complications were detected early on ioMR in 5%. MRI length was 47 min on average.

Intraoperative MRI was a useful and safe technique, and no associated complications were registered.