Objectives:

The whole surgical team carries out the important tasks of neuromonitoring during craniotomy to prevent neurological damage. We examined the role of the anesthesiologist in intraoperative neuromonitoring in light of experience between 2005-2008.

Methods:

We gathered the files of patients who underwent craniotomy with neuromonitoring from November 2005 to 2008. The neuromonitoring data were analyzed, details of demographic characteristics, neuromonitoring methods, and anesthesia were recorded.

Results:

During 3-year period, 204 patients who underwent craniotomy were monitored with the following techniques: SSEP with phase transformation (n:16), motor cortex localization (n:31), corticospinal tract localization (n:51), direct cortical and subcortical stimulation (n:27), motor speech center (Broca) localization (n:3), cranial nerve (n:60), MEP (n:84), SEP (n:92), EEG (n:24), BAEP (n:35), and cranial nerve monitoring (303 cranial nerves). Total intravenous anesthesia with propofol and remifentanil was used in all patients. Patients having EMG and MEP were not given muscle relaxants after anesthesia was induced. The dosages of intravenous anesthetic agents were reduced during subcortical stimulation and EEG monitoring.

Conclusion:

If anesthesiologists guide the use of anesthetic agents (depending on the neuromonitoring method used) and inform the team of changes in the patient’s hemodynamic status, the information gained through neuromonitoring can be obtained and interpreted more accurately.

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