Outpatient anterior cervical discectomy and fusion saw key differences in costs and outcomes based on census regions, according to a study in the Oct. 15 issue of Spine.
Researchers looked at the Premier Healthcare database to assess single-level outpatient ACDF patients between January 2016 and June 2022.
A total of 56,736 patients were included. Patient costs over time increased in the Pacific division and decreased in the Mountain division. A univariate analysis found large differences in price, readmission rate, and reoperation rate outcomes between regions. A multivariate analysis showed regional differences for costs, but not outcomes.
The study concluded, “Even after adjustments for patient comorbidities, demographics, and payor type, differences in regional costs persisted for single-level ACDF procedures over the study period. These results align with the previous literature while adding further dimensions of regional changes across time.”
