Between 2004 and 2015, more patients chose to undergo lumbar fusion surgery for spondylolisthesis and scoliosis, according to an article in Spine.
Study authors analyzed data from the U.S. National Inpatient Sample.
Here are five study findings:
1. Elective lumbar fusion volume increased 62.3 percent from 122,679 cases in 2004 to 199,140 cases in 2015.
2. The spike in surgery was greatest among Americans aged 65 or older, increasing 138.7 percent from 98.3 per 100,000 patients in 2004 to 170.3 per 100,000 patients in 2015.
3. The incidence of treatment for spondylolisthesis patients jumped 111 percent while the rate of surgery for scoliosis patients increased 186.6 percent.
4. Combined, disc degeneration, herniation and stenosis accounted for 42.3 percent of elective lumbar fusions in 2015.
5. During this period, aggregate hospital costs increased 177 percent, exceeding $10 billion in 2015 and averaging more than $50,000 per admission.