7 Things for Spine Surgeons to Know for Thursday

Spine
Heather Linder -

Here are seven things for spinal surgeons to know for March 14, 2013. Outpatient lumbar discectomy more effective than inpatient.
A study of 4,310 single lumbar discectomy cases found that the patients treated with outpatient surgery had lower overall complication rates than those patients that underwent the procedure in an inpatient setting. Of the patients studied, 61.7 percent stayed in an inpatient hospital after the lumbar discectomy and 38.3 percent had the procedure done in an outpatient setting. Overall complication rate for the outpatient setting was 3.5 percent, compared with 5.4 percent for the inpatient setting.

Drs. John Ehteshami, Abram Burgher joined Spine Treatment Centers of America.
John Ehteshami, MD, and Abram Burgher, MD, joined Spine Treatment Centers of America in order to provide patients in the Phoenix and Scottsdale region with neck and back pain relief. Dr. Ehteshami and Dr. Burgher will perform minimally invasive spine surgery at the Freedom Pain Hospital in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Aesculap Implant Systems' PL-AGE System is now for sale.
Center Valley, Pa.-based Aesculap Implant Systems' PL-AGE System is now available for commercial use.

Dr. Stephen Cook named Precision Spine Director.
Stephen Cook, PhD, joined the board of directors of Parsippany, N.J.-based Precision Spine. Dr. Cook is the president and chief scientist at the Fellowship of Orthopaedic Researchers in Metairie, La.

NLT Spine opens U.S. subsidiary.
Israel-based NLT Spine has opened a U.S. subsidiary to increase commercialization of its device technology platform. The Boston-area subsidiary will focus on the PROW FUSION and eSPIN devices with the goal of launching a full line of products in 2014, according to the release.

GOP & Dems' budgets both impact healthcare.
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) led the design of the GOP's budget proposal, which would balance the federal budget in 10 years with $4.6 trillion in spending cuts through 2023. Much of that includes repealing funding for key features of the health law, including the health insurance exchanges and Medicaid expansion funding. It would also privatize Medicare using federal subsidies and terminate financial regulatory laws implemented during the Obama administration.

The Democrats are shooting for a $100 billion economic stimulus initiative for job training and infrastructure projects, paid for by closing tax loopholes amounting to nearly $1 trillion in added revenue. At the same time, they would cut an additional $1 trillion from federal spending. Dems have defended federal entitlements like Medicare and Medicaid.

Dr. Richard Kube performed Coflex Interlaminar Implant procedure.
Richard Kube, MD, was one of the first doctors in the US and the first surgeon in Illinois to perform a procedure with the Coflex Interlaminar Implant, which functions as an alternative to spinal fusion. Dr. Kube, board certified orthopedic surgeon and founder of Prairie Spine and Pain Institute in Peoria, Ill., performed the minimally invasive, outpatient procedure at Southern Illinois Surgery Center in Marion.

More Articles on Spine:
5 Thoughts on Managing Online Presence for Spine Surgeons
6th Annual Lumbar Spine Research Society Meeting Coming in April
Outpatient Lumbar Discectomy Decreases Short-Term Complications: Study


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