While there is certainly excitement surrounding the potential of robotics in orthopedics and spine, practices have to be able to financially justify them.
Stephen Banco, MD, an orthopedic spine surgeon, recently connected with Becker’s to talk about the impact robotics can have on a practice and if they are worth it.
Dr. Banco is the founder of Keystone Spine & Pain Management Center in Wyomissing, Pa.
Ask Orthopedic Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to orthopedic surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting orthopedic care. Becker’s invites all orthopedic surgeon and specialist responses.
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Please send responses to Cameron Cortigiano at ccortigiano@beckershealthcare.com by 5 p.m. CST on Nov. 24.
Editor’s note: This response has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: Are you seeing any significant return on investment from robotics, or is it still too early?
Dr. Stephen Banco: Robotics has yet to show any ROI in spinal surgery. The jury is still out on whether it ever will. It’s remarkable technology but the exorbitant cost only adds overhead to a reimbursement system that deals with razor-thin margins. There is no unbiased data to support the notion that robotic surgery allows for more surgery to be performed in an institution thereby increasing revenue. Many experienced surgeons feel the robot slows them down and decreases turnover time. Furthermore, the error rate in Pedicle screw placement is low to begin with and adding a robot to their workflow is an unnecessary distraction.
