Researchers found laminectomies were a more cost-effective treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis compared to inserting Medtronic's X-Stop interspinous distractor device, according to a study published Feb. 2 in Journal of Neurosurgery.
Five details:
1. Researchers did a randomized controlled study in 47 patients with lumbar spinal stenosis to compare treatment outcomes and costs.
2. The mean cost for the laminectomy group was $3,316, and the mean cost for the X-Stop group was $6,295.
3. Surgery length for the laminectomy was twice as long as the X-stop insertion, with a mean 122 minutes compared to 66 minutes, respectively.
4. Average hospital stays for both procedures were comparable. The average hospital stay was 4.2 days for the X-Stop group and 4.3 for the laminectomy group.
5. While the X-Stop group did increase quality of life, it was less than that for the laminectomy group.