The U.S. has the most significant structural barriers to endoscopic spine surgery adoption globally, driven by reimbursement, training and institutional challenges, according to a study published July 8 in the International Journal of Spine Surgery.
Researchers surveyed 1,834 spine surgeons. Of the 1,040 who began the survey, 438 (42.6%) from 46 countries completed it. Respondents reported an extrapolated cumulative experience of 1,286,496 endoscopic spine procedures.
U.S. barriers included reimbursement compared with open surgery, the absence of academic training programs, equipment startup costs, lack of hospital administrative support and insurance/government reimbursement. The additional study materials said 40.4% of surgeons received no endoscopic spine surgery training during residency or fellowship.
The authors recommended retiring CPT 62380, the code used for endoscopic lumbar decompression, and replacing it with work-based codes stratified by surgical complexity, plus a new endoscopy add-on code modeled after CPT 69990. The study said China and India reported greater training access, institutional support and system adaptability.
At the Becker’s 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now.
