Here six spine surgeons discuss where they see the spine industry heading in the next five to 10 years.
Ask Spine Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to spine surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting spine care. We invite all spine surgeon and specialist responses.
Next week's question: What is your advice for physicians who would like to switch to hospital employment from independent practice?
Please send responses to Anuja Vaidya at avaidya@beckershealthcare.com by Wednesday, August 5, at 5 p.m. CST.
Question: What will change and what will remain the same in the spine industry in the next five to 10 years?
William Taylor, Director, Spine Surgery, Vice Chairman, Division of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Diego: One aspect that will not change is patients' desire to have speedier less painful surgery that will keep them active into their 80's and 90's.
Brian R. Gantwerker, MD, The Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles: Medicare will continue to attack the reimbursement structure and payments will continue to dwindle. We will see consolidation of spinal companies and decreased corporate sponsorship of academic meetings. There will be less innovation, less competition and more doctors moving into academic and employed positions.
Richard Kube, MD, Founder, CEO, Prairie Spine & Pain Institute, Peoria, Ill.: I believe we will continue to fight many of the same battles with insurance carriers over reimbursement. There will likely be increased rationing of care to control cost. That should facilitate the continued trend of moving more cases into the ambulatory setting. Fewer physicians will remain independent from hospitals. There will continue to be opportunity for those paying attention to what is happening and having the courage to evolve.
Kenneth Pettine, MD, Founder, The Spine Institute, Johnstown, Colo.: Because of the FDA destroying innovation in the United States in orthopedics and spine, I think most things will remain the same and the only thing that will change is the use of biologics to either augment surgery or prevent surgical procedures in the lumbar and cervical spine.
Neel Anand, MD, Clinical Professor of Surgery, Director, Spine Trauma, Cedars-Sinai Spine Center (Los Angeles): People will continue to have spine problems and will continue to need spine surgery, however the way we treat it and tackle problems will change. Hopefully we will have better diagnoses and better techniques.
Kern Singh, MD, Minimally Invasive Spine Institute, Chicago: Market consolidation will continue to happen, limiting surgeon driven innovation. Additionally, newer technologies will be developed pushing traditional inpatient surgeries to the outpatient environment particularly as these procedures will provide cost-savings, improved outcomes and greater patient satisfaction.