Cerebral ischemia during surgery: an overview.

Cerebral ischemia is the pathophysiological condition in which the oxygenated cerebral blood flow is less than what is needed to meet cerebral metabolic demand. It is one of the most debilitating complications in the perioperative period and has serious clinical sequelae. The monitoring and prevention of intraoperative cerebral ischemia are crucial because an anesthetized patient in the operating room cannot be neurologically assessed. In this paper, we provide an overview of the definition, etiology, risk factors, and prevention of cerebral ischemia during surgery.