Author: Carly Behm

Daniel Choi, MD, completed his 50th surgery using the prodisc C-Vivo cervical disc replacement with more than 100 implanted discs total, his practice said July 1.  The milestone case was completed at St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn, N.Y., according to…

New generations of spine robots in the market have significant advantages compared to their predecessors, Suken Shah, MD, said. Dr. Shah, of Wilmington, Del.-based Nemours Children’s Hospital, spoke with Becker’s about the unique challenges in pediatric spine surgery and how…

Wilmington, Del.-based Nemours Children’s Hospital acquired its first spine robot, and Suken Shah, MD, said it gives surgeons an advantage working with complex pediatric spine cases. So far the robot, Velys Spine, has been used in a few cases in…

Outpatient spine surgery remains an area of growth with the share of spine surgeries in the ASC growing 8% between 2021 and 2024. And for Hardy Sikand, CEO of Indiana Spine Group, some procedures are staples for the practice’s ASC.…

The move to add prior authorization for some spine procedures under CMS’ new Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction model concerns some physicians. However Christian Zimmerman, MD, said some of these additions were a long time coming. Dr. Zimmerman, of St.…

AdventHealth Winter Garden (Fla.) earned the 2025 Blue Cross Blue Shield Spine Surgery Designation, according to a July 1 Facebook post from the hospital.   Neurosurgeon Daniel Fassett, MD, was also recognized in the hospital’s post for his work at the…

As payers announce plans to improve prior authorizations, two spine surgeons discuss the changes that would make the most difference for them. Ask Spine Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to spine surgeons around the country about clinical,…

Some spine procedures including spinal fusion, lumbar decompression and vertebral augmentation will need prior authorization under CMS’ new Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction model, a move worrying some surgeons. The CMS model is targeting 17 procedures that were identified as…

Cost-effectiveness for risk-stratified patients isn’t necessarily better than usual care for lower back pain in the military health system, according to a study in the July 15 issue of Spine. Researchers assessed usual care and risk-stratified care for low back…

Becker’s reported on three spine and orthopedic surgeons earning honors in the second quarter. 1. Ketan Bulsara, MD, earned the 2025 UConn Health Board of Directors Faculty Recognition Award. Dr. Bulsara joined UConn Health in 2017 and is the inaugural…