Intraoperative neuromonitoring practice patterns in spinal deformity surgery: a global survey of the Scoliosis Research Society.

purposeAlthough multimodal IONM has reached a widespread use, several unresolved issues have remained in clinical practice. The aim was to determine differences in approaches to form a basis for taking actions to improve patient safety globally.

methodsA survey comprising 19 questions in four sections (demographics, setup, routine practices and reaction to alerts) was distributed to the membership of the SRS.

resultsOf the estimated 1300 members, 205 (~ 15%) completed the survey. Respondent demographics reflected SRS member distribution. Most of the respondents had > 10 years of experience. TcMEP and SSEP were available to > 95%. Less than 5% reported that a MD/PhD with neurophysiology background routinely examines patients preoperatively, while 19% would consult if requested. After an uneventful case, 36% reported that they would decrease sedation and check motor function if the patient was to be transferred to ICU intubated. Reactions to dropped signals that recovered or did not fully recover varied between attempting the same correction to aborting the surgery with no rods and returning another day, with or without implant removal. After a decrease of signals, 85.7% use steroids of varied doses. Of the respondents, 53.7% reported using the consensus-created checklist by Vitale et al. Approximately, 14% reported never using the wake-up test while others use it for various conditions.

conclusionThe responses of 205 experienced SRS members from different regions of the world showed that surgeons had different approaches in their routine IONM practices and in the handling of alerts. This survey indicates the need for additional studies to identify best practices.