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Can you tell me a little bit about a test called SSEP? I'm having some spinal surgery where this will be used and I'd like to understand it a little better.

SSEP stands for somatosensory-evoked potentials. It is a test that helps monitor neurologic function when the spinal cord is involved in a surgery. SSEP became popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It is still one of the most widely used intraoperative monitoring device used during complex spinal surgeries. SSEPs don't monitor all aspects of spinal cord, spinal nerve, and vascular (blood supply) function. They are not reliable to test motor (muscle) function and should not be used with patients who already have a neurologic problem. At first, it was thought that SSEPs were very reliable but studies have since showed there can be a high rate of false negatives. A false negative is a test that doesn't indicate a problem when there is one. SSEP does allow for continuous monitoring throughout the operation. This concept is referred to as real-time monitoring. That's one reason why a majority of surgeons still use it. The information offered by the test does have a significant lag time in providing warnings. It is often advised to use the SSEP along with at least one other test. For example, there is another test called the motor-evoked potential (MEP) that can be used along with the SSEP. The MEP gives a more sensitive and timely warning that there may be a problem with blood supply to the spinal cord. Your surgeon will know when to use each test and when more than one test is needed. Not all tests are available at each surgical center. Cost considerations enter into the decision. Ask your surgeon for more information about the test, how it will be used for you, and the pros and cons of the test when used for the kind of surgery you will be having.

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