Injuries to neural structures such as the spinal cord, peripheral nerves, nerve roots, and important vessels often occur during spinal surgery despite the experience and knowledge of the surgeon. Intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring is an important tool to protect the integrity of those structures. This monitoring is possible due to the electric properties of the nervous system. By the continuous recording of this electrical data over key anatomical regions and periodic stimulation of neural structures to verify neurologic function, the monitoring staff can relay crucial information about the neurological status of the patient to the operating physician. The use of this information by the operating surgeon can help prevent post-operative neurological deficit and improve patient outcomes. Due to the protective and preventative nature of IONM, in some European countries and in the United States of America this test is considered the Gold Standard of the procedures that prevent and minimize neurologic complications during spinal surgery. The incorporation of the neurophysiologic monitoring duringneurological surgeries has begun in many Latin American countries and is just emerging in Ecuador. We attempt in this article to introduce and explain the importance of this support in Neurosurgery, Traumatology and other surgical specialties.

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