From changes in reimbursement rates to debut procedures, here are updates on disc replacement surgery to know in 2024:
- Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolis are the most expensive cities in the U.S. to undergo total disc replacement surgery, including facility, physician and anesthesia fees.
- After adjusting for inflation, reimbursements for cervical disc replacement dipped by 12.9% between 2009 and 2021, with the number of procedures jumping 183% from 2007 to 2017 and Medicare beneficiary utilization increasing 149%.
- DISC Sports & Spine Center has become a study site for the Orthofix two-level M6-C artificial cervical disc study, which will examine the benefits of disc arthroplasty over traditional cervical fusions, Grant Shifflett, MD, told Becker's in November.
- The first U.S. case with ZimVie's 4.5 millimeter Mobi-C cervical disc was completed in late 2023 by Gregory Lopez, MD, on a 59-year-old patient with a collapsed C5-C6 disc at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush in Chicago.
- Todd Lanman, MD, launched the ADR Spine Top Doctors in Arthroplasty Program to connect patients with disc replacement surgeons in their regions. The program aims to have a full national roster of disc replacement surgeons by the end of 2024.