Adjustable and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Conditional Implantation of a Licox Brain Tissue Oxygenation Probe in Neurosurgery: Technical Note

Continuous bedside brain tissue oxygen monitoring is an essential part of managing comatose patients with acute brain injury. Maintenance of adequate brain oxygenation has been established as an important goal in neurocritical care to prevent patients from secondary ischemia. As patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage and traumatic brain injury often require early magnetic resonance imaging, conventionally implanted metal bolts are disadvantageous due to massive artifacts. We hereby report a novel technique of magnetic resonance imaging conditional bedside implantation of a brain tissue oxygenation probe. We performed bedside implantation of a Licox brain tissue oxygenation probe with a peripheral venous cannula that is placed through a plastic bolt placed on a burr hole. Bedside implantation of a Licox brain tissue oxygenation probe was successfully performed in a novel fashion. This article describes the feasibility of a novel technique of bedside implantation of a Licox brain tissue oxygenation probe, resulting in a length-adjustable insertion and rigid fixation without metal artifacts in early magnetic resonance imaging.