Here are seven key stories on outpatient spine trends and news.
SouthCoast Health unveils new St. Luke's Hospital Brain and Spine Center
New Bedford, Mass.-based SouthCoast Health opened the Brain and Spine Center at St. Luke's Hospital, also in New Bedford. The Brain and Spine Center offers neurosurgery, neurology, neuropsychology, pain management, physical medicine and rehabilitation, physical therapy and chiropractic services. The center holds 12 beds.
Dr. Stephen Hochschuler: The future of independent spine surgeons and ASCs
Texas Back Institute Co-Founder Stephen Hochschuler, MD, discusses key trends in the independent practice of medicine for orthopedic and spine surgeons and how to prepare for the future. Read his thoughts, here.
Outpatient spine surgery growth in hospitals outpaces ASCs
A new study published in Spine compares spinal procedures performed in the outpatient hospital department to the ASC. Over the study period, outpatient hospitals reported the largest growth in lumbar decompressions at the first level, growing from 18.7 percent of procedures to 68.5 percent. Spine procedures in the ASC increased less significantly, with the largest jump being in posterior cervical decompression laminotomy first level, from 0 percent to 23.4 percent over the study period. Read more from the study, here.
Outpatient spinal fusion: 2 new studies compare outcomes
Two recent studies published in The Spine Journal examine spine surgery in the outpatient setting. The first study looks at posterior lumbar fusions with and without interbody, and the second study addresses anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. See the results, here.
Dr. Kingsley Chin reports 79% of his cases could go to the ASC
Kingsley Chin, MD, authored a study examining the percentage of patients in his practice eligible for outpatient spine surgery in an ambulatory setting. Among the 210 inpatient surgical procedures, 72 patients underwent decompressions and 138 underwent fusions. In the outpatient group, 150 patients underwent 347 decompressions and 197 patients underwent fusion or disc replacement procedures. Study authors found ASC-eligible patients who underwent procedures performed in the hospital could have had their procedures performed safely in the ASC.
National Orthopaedic and Spine Alliance adds 2 Connecticut groups
Connecticut Joint Replacement Institute and the Spine Institute at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, both located in Hartford, joined the National Orthopaedic and Spine Alliance. Cleveland Clinic, Phoenix-based CORE Institute, Philadelphia-based The Rothman Institute, North Carolina-based OrthoCarolina and Orange-based OrthoCalifornia founded NOSA in 2013.
Dr. Mark McFarland performs outpatient surgery with SpineFrontier's A-CIFT SoloFuse-P
Mark McFarland, DO, leveraged SpineFrontier's A-CIFT SoloFuse-P technology with an angled driver design to perform an outpatient C4-6 anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. He performed the procedure at Newport News, Va.-based Mary Immaculate Hospital, and praised the A-CIFT SoloFuse-P's zero-profile implant design as "a great option for outpatient surgery."