Here are eight things for spinal surgeons to know for Sept. 18, 2014.
Scoliosis surgery costs up 133 percent in 10 years, study finds
There were 29,594 AIS fusions from the National Inpatient Service database from 2001 to 2011 used in the study. Researchers also found that anterior thoracic fusion rate was down 80 percent over the 10 year period studied.
Dr. Raj Rao to chair FDA's Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Devices Panel
Dr. Rao is a professor of orthopedic surgery and neurosurgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin and a practicing orthopedic spine surgeon at Froedtert Hospital and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. He has served as a voting member on the Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Devices Panel since 2006.
Study: Medicaid patient spine surgeries have higher infection rate
The researchers found patients with Medicaid had a 2.06 odds of surgical site infections, when compared with privately insured patients. There are also increased costs for patients with Medicaid payer status.
Ortho Kinematics partners with Medtronic
Ortho Kinematics entered into an agreement with Medtronic to promote the company's Vertebral Motion Analysis test to spine surgeons, which is the company's flagship spine diagnostic test that can be prescribed as an alternative to the flexion/extension X-ray tests.
Are spinal fusion outcomes worse with iliac crest bone graft?
The study found that patients who received iliac crest bone graft were more likely to have postoperative blood transfusion. Around 11.6 percent of the iliac crest bone graft patients had blood transfusion, compared with 5.5 percent of the remaining patients.
Study: Spine department to save $41k after eliminating waste
The study published in Spine examined how spine surgeons at an academic medical center used Lean principles to identify opportunities to improve quality and lower costs in the operating room. The team projects $41,000 cost savings annually from removing unused instruments and consolidating two instrument sets into one.
Physicians more positive on the future, still weary of healthcare reform
The biennial "Survey of America's Physicians" by Physicians Foundation and Merritt Hawkins indicates physicians are weary of the healthcare law but generally more positive of the future, compared to the past two surveys conducted in 2012 and 2008.
478k people at risk of losing insurance or subsidies this month due to data discrepancies
In May, CMS announced there were 2.1 million people with data discrepancies — 1.2 million related to income, 461,000 concerning citizenship information and 505,000 related to immigration data. Around 115,000 people who purchased health insurance off of the state and federal-run health exchanges are at risk of losing their coverage at the end of September.
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