From implants to robots, surgical technology for the spine has advanced at an exponential rate, and many surgeons are excited about the potential they hold.
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Outpatient spine surgery already has a strong foothold, and it provides surgeons with autonomy, according to Kern Singh, MD, co-director of Minimally Invasive Spine Institute at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush in Chicago.
Mihir Patel, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and treasurer at Indianapolis-based OrthoIndy said voice-driven technology was one of the biggest healthcare trends he's excited about.
CMS poses a primary obstacle to outpatient spine migration, according to David Essig, MD, of Northwell Health in Great Neck, N.Y.
The migration of some spine surgeries to ASCs is well underway, but evolving CMS rules and payer regulations still pose some roadblocks.
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Expanding revenue streams through ancillary services is becoming a larger part of the orthopedic practice business model as reimbursement continues to decline and many practices wait for pre-pandemic patient volumes to return.
As spine surgery continues to accelerate to the outpatient setting, five spine surgeons recommend essential technologies for ASCs to invest in.
Frank Kolisek, MD, of Indianapolis-based OrthoIndy, is laser focused on technological advances in orthopedic care.
Neurosurgeon Richard Wohns, MD, founder and president of Nashville, Tenn.-based NeoSpine, has shared his talents in spine surgery by volunteering his services in Nepal and the Maldive Islands.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted some of the benefits of performing spine surgery at ASCs, but hospitals are still struggling with patients' reluctance to have inpatient procedures.