The use of somatosensory evoked responses in carotid surgery for monitoring brain function.

One of the problems in carotid surgery is the intra-operative detection of brain ischemia. None of the methods applied so far have been successful. Experience has shown that the results were unsatisfactory. Experimental studies have detected a strong correlation between regional cerebral blood flow and somatosensory evoked potentials. At the Surgical Clinic of the University of Cologne, 60 patients had continuous intraoperative monitoring of somatosensory evoked responses during carotid endarterectomy. Our previous experiences suggest that monitoring of somatosensory evoked responses during carotid endarterectomy provides a suitable method for the registration of brain function. Furthermore it is possible to pinpoint the causes of ischemia and to immediately begin treatment based on the causes of ischemia.