Here are eight things for spine surgeons to know for Thursday, Jan. 16, 2014.
CMS to disclose individual physician pay under Freedom of Information Act.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will disclose individual physician payments for requests under the Freedom of Information Act. Access will be given to people requesting individual physician data beginning in mid-March on a case-by-case basis.
CMS to cover image-guided lumbar decompression with coverage evidence development.
CMS released its final decision memorandum for percutaneous image-guided lumbar decompression for spinal stenosis and will allow coverage with evidence development.
Spine compression fractures best treated with vertebral augmentation, study says.
Interventional augmentation procedures for spine compression fractures have proven to strengthen bones for longer and result in shorter hospitals stays than non-operative treatment, such as bed rest, pain control and physical therapy.
Dr. Jeffrey Wingate joined North American Spine's back treatment team.
North American Spine announced the addition of orthopedic spine surgeon Jeffrey Wingate, MD, to its back pain treatment team. Dr. Wingate will perform cervical, thoracic, and lumbar surgeries using North American Spine's minimally invasive AccuraScope procedure.
Dr. Gary Michelson donated $50M to build USC bioscience center.
Gary Michelson, MD, a retired orthopedic surgeon and spine device inventor, donated $50 million to the University of Southern California for the construction of a bioscience research building, to be called the USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience.
Robotic guidance in spine surgery lowers radiation exposure 74% vs. fluoroscopy.
A new study published in Spine assesses the radiation exposure during robot-guided vertebral body augmentation compared to fluoroscopy, and found that radiation exposure of the surgeon and the operating room staff in a series of robot-assisted vertebral body augmentation was 74 percent lower than published results on fluoroscopy guidance and approximately 50 percent lower than the literature on navigated augmentation.
Mazor Robotics penned deal with hospital GPO to provide Renaissance system access.
Mazor Robotics signed an agreement with one of the largest group purchasing organizations for hospitals to provide members access to the Renaissance system and the company's portfolio of disposable products.
Council of Surgical Spine Societies questioned Aetna's policy on cervical cages.
The Council of Surgical Spine Societies recently penned a letter to Aetna commenting on the insurer's back pain and invasive procedures policy. The letter requests a change in current policy, which considers cervical cage use experimental. The current policy "does not reflect standard best practice, and does not accurately reflect the available literature and evidence," stated the letter.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will disclose individual physician payments for requests under the Freedom of Information Act. Access will be given to people requesting individual physician data beginning in mid-March on a case-by-case basis.
CMS to cover image-guided lumbar decompression with coverage evidence development.
CMS released its final decision memorandum for percutaneous image-guided lumbar decompression for spinal stenosis and will allow coverage with evidence development.
Spine compression fractures best treated with vertebral augmentation, study says.
Interventional augmentation procedures for spine compression fractures have proven to strengthen bones for longer and result in shorter hospitals stays than non-operative treatment, such as bed rest, pain control and physical therapy.
Dr. Jeffrey Wingate joined North American Spine's back treatment team.
North American Spine announced the addition of orthopedic spine surgeon Jeffrey Wingate, MD, to its back pain treatment team. Dr. Wingate will perform cervical, thoracic, and lumbar surgeries using North American Spine's minimally invasive AccuraScope procedure.
Dr. Gary Michelson donated $50M to build USC bioscience center.
Gary Michelson, MD, a retired orthopedic surgeon and spine device inventor, donated $50 million to the University of Southern California for the construction of a bioscience research building, to be called the USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience.
Robotic guidance in spine surgery lowers radiation exposure 74% vs. fluoroscopy.
A new study published in Spine assesses the radiation exposure during robot-guided vertebral body augmentation compared to fluoroscopy, and found that radiation exposure of the surgeon and the operating room staff in a series of robot-assisted vertebral body augmentation was 74 percent lower than published results on fluoroscopy guidance and approximately 50 percent lower than the literature on navigated augmentation.
Mazor Robotics penned deal with hospital GPO to provide Renaissance system access.
Mazor Robotics signed an agreement with one of the largest group purchasing organizations for hospitals to provide members access to the Renaissance system and the company's portfolio of disposable products.
Council of Surgical Spine Societies questioned Aetna's policy on cervical cages.
The Council of Surgical Spine Societies recently penned a letter to Aetna commenting on the insurer's back pain and invasive procedures policy. The letter requests a change in current policy, which considers cervical cage use experimental. The current policy "does not reflect standard best practice, and does not accurately reflect the available literature and evidence," stated the letter.