IONM

Intraoperative Neuromonitoring (IONM) Services

SpecialtyCare is the largest provider of intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) services in the nation, with 110,000 cases every year. Our people work alongside the world’s leading surgeons to help identify any early signs of neurological injury. Our surgical neurophysiologist clinicians are backed by a skilled team of IONM physicians or audiologists, who provide additional support with real-time monitoring through telecommunication, enabling timely interventions to avoid long-term neural problems. At SpecialtyCare, the health of the patient always comes first. As a partner in IONM, we are your insurance policy against risk and the high cost of patient injury, even during the most complex procedures like spine surgery, brain surgery, cardiac surgery, vascular surgery, and general orthopedic surgery. You can rely on our expertise in IONM to reduce risk and help ensure patient safety.

What is Intraoperative Neuromonitoring or IONM?

Intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) is the continuous surveillance of a patient’s nervous system (the brain, spinal cord, and nerves) when it can be at risk of injury during surgery. The purpose of IONM is to protect the nervous system.

IONM provides an extra layer of safety for both the surgeon and most importantly, the patient.

A patient’s insurance carrier may pay for a portion of the costs associated with IONM. This amount depends on the specific carrier and insurance plan. Patients can contact their insurance provider to find out about coverage for IONM. Patients and surgeons should consider the advantages of preventative IONM services compared with the risks and costs of serious neurological complications.

A Brief History of IONM

Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring is currently used in thousands of surgical procedures every year across the United States. The first use of IONM dates back to the 1930s, when direct stimulation of the brain was used to identify the motor cortex of patients with epilepsy undergoing intracranial surgery. Later on, it was the introduction of new monitoring tests and the invention of the commercial IONM machine in the early 1980s that allowed for the widespread use of the technique.

The 1990s saw transcranial electric motor evoked potentials (tceMEPs)  introduced as a method for monitoring spinal cord activity and for predicting postoperative motor problems. Technological advances in the last 20 years have allowed monitoring techniques to continually evolve.

The widespread availability of computer networks and communication systems has allowed IONM to be performed even from remote sites. This has made the technique even more popular in the last decade.

What SpecialtyCare Provides

SpecialtyCare’s clinical staff has a proven history of research and innovation in IONM. We were among the first to introduce the common use of transcranial motor evoked potentials in monitoring spine and intracranial surgery. We’ve also customized techniques for monitoring nerve root function during spine surgery, brachial plexus function during shoulder reconstruction, and sciatic nerve function during pelvic surgery. We provide the industry’s most advanced clinical neuroscience services, including neurophysiological mapping during deep brain stimulation surgery, monitoring during interventional neuroradiology, transcranial doppler evaluations in the intensive care unit, and support of long-term EEG monitoring.

IONM Accreditation and Certification

Our surgical neurophysiologists have eight years of experience in IONM on average. We also have the most staff with Certification in Neurophysiologic Intraoperative Monitoring (CNIM) and the most diplomats certified by the American Board of Neurophysiologic Monitoring (DABNM) in the industry. SpecialtyCare’s neurophysiologists are thoroughly evaluated and granted clinical privileges based on performance in specific surgical procedures. Clinical competency is reviewed on an annual basis, fostering continuous improvement and advancement of skillset. SpecialtyCare holds both accreditation and certification from The Joint Commission (TJC), and we are the first IONM clinical services provider to have a neuromonitoring training program that is formally recognized by ABRET, the Neurodiagnostic Credentialing and Accreditation Board.

Our surgical neurophysiologists work alongside the world’s leading surgeons, tracking nervous system activity in real time to identify and act on any early signs of evolving neural injury. We’ve got the patient’s back. Always.

Surgeons expect skilled, familiar people in the OR who they can trust and rely on to monitor their cases. Maintaining a highly competent hospital-based program can be difficult. Our experienced clinicians and monitoring physicians step in to serve as an extension of the OR team, ensuring both patient safety and surgeon satisfaction.

Trainees learn critical thinking skills in different diagnostic techniques, are exposed to literature review activities, and participate in OR communications training in a simulated operating room, all of which are focused on development of clinical acumen. This extensive training and our dedicated CNIM test preparation have resulted in impressive first-time CNIM test pass rates that far exceed the national average each year.

This confirms that our program provides substantial and effective preparation for both certification and high-quality patient care. NIOM program status makes SpecialtyCare the first clinical services provider to achieve this recognition. With approval as a recognized program, our surgical neurophysiology (SNI) trainees gain Pathway IV eligibility for ABRET’s Certification in Neurophysiologic Intraoperative Neuromonitoring (CNIM) testing. ABRET recognition is an important milestone for our training, and it shows our ability to meet the goal of our program, which is to increase patient safety, improve patient outcomes, and reduce healthcare costs by providing surgeons and their teams with highly trained and certified clinicians.

Our IONM Services Cost Savings

Standing as a leader in outsourced clinical services, SpecialtyCare is a one stop shop for your needs. Our IONM team saves you the cost of hiring, training, and obtaining support that may not suit your surgical needs. And our buying power all over the country provides you with top-of-the-line equipment and products at competitive rates from leading manufacturers, such as:

Innovation in IONM

SpecialtyCare brings a proven history of research and innovation to surgical teams and hospitals across the country. We were among the first to introduce routine use of transcranial electric motor evoked potentials (tceMEP) in monitoring spine and brain surgery. We have developed numerous tceMEP innovations, such as customized anesthesia protocols for optimizing neurophysiological recordings and techniques for monitoring nerve root function during spine surgery, brachial plexus function during shoulder reconstruction, and sciatic nerve function during pelvic surgery.

At SpecialtyCare, our goal is to help you build an operating room team based on excellence and to provide the best outcomes, always. Our approach is founded on the belief that a combination of clinical excellence, compliance, and dedicated personal service is needed to ensure the very best in patient care and cost management. Reach out to us today for more information.