Here are eight key stories on outpatient spine trends and news.
Key trends in outpatient spine: 4 spine specialists weigh in
Richard Kube, MD, Founder, CEO, Prairie Spine & Pain Institute, Peoria, Ill.; Brian R. Gantwerker, MD, The Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles; Jeffrey C. Wang, MD, Chief, Orthopedic Spine Service, Co-Director USC Spine Center, Keck Medical Center of USC, Los Angeles; and Medhat Mikhael, MD, Pain Management Specialist, Medical Director, Center for Spine Health at Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center, Fountain Valley, Calif., discuss the growth of outpatient spine surgery.
Outpatient spine driving spinal implants market growth; CAGR of 5.91% to 2020
The global spinal implants market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.91 percent between 2016 and 2020, according to a Market Research report. The shift to outpatient spine surgery serves as the ultimate boost for the spinal implants market. The increasing number of non-fusion spinal procedures will also spur market growth.
5 considerations for adding outpatient spinal surgery to a fully-equipped center
From 2005 to 2015, nearly 45 percent of all spine cases were performed on an outpatient basis, a stark increase from only 5 percent of cases in 2005. Deb Yoder, MHA, BSN, RN, CNOR, director of clinical operations for Surgical Management Professionals, offers considerations when developing a successful spine program.
Independence, healthcare business & outpatient spine — 4 spine surgeons discuss the next 5 years
Richard Wohns, MD, JD, MBA, founder and president of Puyallup, Wash.-based NeoSpine; Robin Fowler, MD, chairman and medical director of Atlanta-based Interventional Management Services; James Lynch, MD, founder and chairman of Reno-based SpineNevada; Tim Adamson, MD, of Charlotte-based Carolina NeuroSurgery & Spine Associates, discuss the current and future landscape of the orthopedic and spine ASC industry as well as physician practice.
How an outpatient spine surgery practice allows a work-life balance
Typically, the words 'independent/solo practice' invoke images of late nights and administrative burden. But, developing to Richard Wohns, MD, JD, MBA, founder and president of Puget Sound-based NeoSpine, it doesn't have to be that way. "Focusing on elective spine procedures in an outpatient setting is one way to have more control over one's life," says Dr. Wohns.
Regent Surgical Health develops ASC dedicated specifically to TJR, spine
Regent Surgical Health is developing the first ambulatory surgery center in the Northwest region dedicated specifically to performing total joint replacements and treating spine disorders. The center will offer spine, total joints, orthopedics, hand surgery, interventional pain management as well as orthobiologic therapies, including platelet rich plasma, stem cells and amniotic membrane-derived growth factors.
Patient-reported outcomes of outpatient single-level posterior lumbar interbody fusion
Researchers analyzed both surgical and patient-reported outcomes following lumbar fusions in ambulatory surgery centers, according to a study published in Spine. Researchers found surgical times totaled about two hours. The study found an overall fusion rate of 87.5 percent. Researchers concluded surgeons can safely perform direct open posterior lumbar interbody fusions in the outpatient setting.
Novel technologies make a splash in outpatient spine setting — Dr. Nick Shamie weighs in
When considering adding spine to an ASC, Nick Shamie, MD, of Santa Monica-based UCLA Spine Center, recommends surgeons check coverage for specific procedures. Payers may not cover certain procedures a surgeon wishes to perform, in which case the cash prices must be affordable for patients. He uses VertiFlex's Superion Interspinous Spacer and Paradigm Spine's coflex in the outpatient setting.