The International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery recently reported its membership has grown 68 percent over the past few years and reaffirmed a commitment to advocate for its spine surgeon members in the United States and internationally. The society's goal is, "To be the society that represents spine surgeons," and may soon obtain a seat at the American Medical Association House of Delegates table.
ISASS President Luiz Pimeta, MD, works with past presidents and society board members from around the world to accomplish the society's goals. ISASS also includes the International Journal of Spine Surgery, with Hansen A. Yuan, MD, as editor-in-chief. Recent article topics include multilevel extreme lateral interbody fusions and the psychological and social costs of chronic low-back pain.
A sister organization, the International Advocates for Spine Patients, was recently launched under the leadership of Tom Errico, MD, to support the society's advocacy efforts. The organization joins patients with physicians and the medical industry to support accessible and cost-effective spine care. Recent advocacy efforts include:
• Developing statements supporting evidence-based spine surgery techniques
• Meeting with government and commercial payer representatives about providing greater patient access to new technologies and medically indicated surgeries
• Focusing on coverage and reimbursement issues
Earlier this year, Domagoj Coric, MD, published a response to the BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina's report questioning the use of artificial disc replacement. ISASS also published a statement on vertebral augmentation that includes five guidelines.
The organization will hold its 2014 annual meeting in Miami and is currently accepting abstracts for presentation. For more information, contact Kristy Radcliffe at kristy@isass.org.