Maintenance of normal cerebral oxygen saturation and metabolism is an essential element in perioperative anesthetic management. Several methods have been applied in the perioperative period to monitor cerebral oxygen saturation in order to timely detect ischemia, hypoxia, and abnormal perfusion in the brain.

To review three methods forcerebral oxygenation monitoring to provide technical information for perioperative application.

Three procedures have been commonly used in neurosurgery, cardiovascular surgery, and ICU to achieve surveillance of cerebral oxygen saturation levels. They arejugular vein oxygen saturation monitoring, brain tissue oxygen tension monitoring, and near-infrared spectroscopy. This review provides sophisticated information about these methods, including their principles, clinical application, advantages, and disadvantages.

Brain tissue oxygen tension monitoring and near-infrared spectroscopy monitoring are helpful to prevent cerebral ischemia and inadequate cerebral perfusion in cardiac surgery, neurosurgery, and ICU.

Brain oxygenation; Brain tissue oxygen tension; Jugular venous oxygen saturation; Near-infrared spectroscopy