Managing Cardiovascular Incidents in the Intra-operative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (iMRI) Environment: Lessons from Three Case Studies

In recent years, the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has extended into the operating theatre, especially in the field of neurosurgery. By providing real-time images during surgery, intra-operative MRI (iMRI) facilitates safer and more complete brain tumour resection. However, the iMRI environment poses additional challenges to the anaesthetist when managing intra-operative cardiovascular events. Through three case examples, this article will discuss the issues of cardiovascular resuscitation, cardiac pacing and cardiovascular monitoring in the iMRI environment.