At the 12th Annual Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference + the Future of Spine, June 12 in Chicago, Dotty Bollinger, RN, JD, CASC, LHRM, president and COO of Tampa, Fla.-based Laser Spine Institute, discussed the outcomes of procedures at their minimally invasive spine surgery-centric ambulatory surgery center as well as key considerations for ASCs looking into introducing MIS procedures.
Laser Spine Institute focuses on endoscopic procedures, laminectomies, discectomies, facet thermal ablations and much more. The national spine market is huge, said Ms. Bollinger, one million back surgeries are performed in the U.S. annually and 100 million adults suffer from back pain every year.
At LSI, patient safety is key, notes Ms. Bollinger, and one way to ensure that is patient selection. "We have a medical team just screening patients," she said. "It is important that the physicians feel completely comfortable with the patient and procedure. We also made sure that the staff was adequately trained and was comfortable with the care they were expected to give."
The institute has grown exponentially since it opened in 2005 — from one surgeon and 368 procedures in 2005 to five surgeons and more than 8,000 procedures in 2013. According Ms. Bollinger, the institute currently has an infection rate of 0.003 percent and dura leak rate of 0.018 percent. The hematomas rate is 0.001 percent and hospital transfers/postoperative admissions rate is 0.007 percent. Patient satisfaction is also high. For decompressions without hardware, at three months after the procedure, 70.5 percent of patients reported their satisfaction level with LSI and their experience as eight or higher, with 10 being the highest. At six months postoperative, 62.5 percent of patients reported their satisfaction level as eight or higher.
For spine-focused ASCs looking to introduce or increase the number of MIS procedures at their center, there are four key points to consider, according to Ms. Bollinger:
1. Radiation exposure for spine surgeons — figuring out ways to keep them safe.
2. Partnering with the right vendors who share the same values as your center and are also focused on a patient-centric experience.
3. Gathering a knowledgeable and experienced staff.
4. Hiring well-trained and appropriately credentialed physicians.
"Minimally invasive spine surgery in an outpatient setting is effective and it works for the patient since it results in less pain and blood loss," said Ms. Bollinger.
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