Postoperative paraplegia with preserved intraoperative somatosensory evoked potentials

Abstract

✓ Intraoperative somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP's) are being used with increasing frequency to monitor neurological function during spinal surgery. The authors report a case of postoperative paraplegia that occurred despite preserved intraoperative SSEP's in an achondroplastic dwarf who underwent correction of a congenital kyphoscoliosis. Surgeons and anesthesiologists involved with SSEP monitoring should be aware that false-negative results may occur with this technique.