Innovative technologies and techniques are continually erupting in the spine field, with surgeons now able to perform surgery less invasively. Improvements within the field allow surgeons to push the envelope, devising techniques and treatment plans to yield excellent patient outcomes.
Serving as the co-director of Chicago-based Rush Spine Center, Harel Deutsch, MD, has seen how the field has evolved over the years. He refers to the days when he was in training as "the dark ages."
"No one seemed to know when we should operate and when we should not," he says. "Outcomes for spine surgery were poor and many patients were labeled as having failed back syndrome. There were a lot of patients seeking answers for their problems."
Dr. Deutsch wanted to answer these lingering questions, propelling him to specialize in failed previous spine surgery and failed back syndrome. Technology has changed the spine field, however, and has eliminated many of the uncertainties that led to the aforementioned poor outcomes. Dr. Deutsch says spine surgeons are increasingly using artificial lumbar discs and dynamic stabilization devices for patients that meet the criteria for the devices, thereby improving outcomes for this sector.
Dr. Deutsch remarks, "Technology has steadily marched on in spine surgery. Most of the instrumentation we use now was only developed in the 1990s and 2000s. The current and future improvements we are seeing involve the use of computer software for image navigation, placement of screws and surgical planning."
Changes taking hold in the spine field
The healthcare field today has brought new partnerships into the mix and physicians across many specialties are forging new relationships. Rush University Medical Center is on the forefront on these partnerships, with Dr. Deutsch saying Rush's overall structure is unique in the Chicago area as the medical center "combines the strengths of an academic institution with the strengths of a private corporation singularly focused on healthcare."
The fusion of these strengths allows Rush to focus on how the academic medical center can elevate spine care, which entails collaboration between providers. At Rush's pain center, patients with spine disorders have access to specialists who work in tandem on that patient's individualized treatment plan. An orthopedic surgeon will work with a pain management provider to see the best course of action for a patient, and whether that treatment plan entails an operative or non-operative treatment. The teamwork involved in this process has improved treatment for Rush's spine patients, according to Dr. Deutsch.
Rush is also seeing the potential in surgery centers, as ASCs can perform higher acuity cases including spine surgery.
"Surgicenters are obviously a focus of many hospital-physician partnerships in the spine field," Dr. Deutsch says. "I think success depends ultimately on all partners buying into the concept and alignment of interests of all parties."
Dr. Harel Deutsch is among the key speakers for Becker's ASC 24th Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs. Learn more about the event here!