Spine

When Pat Bovonratwet, MD, traveled to South Korea to study endoscopic spine surgery, he wasn’t there to learn how to operate through an endoscope. He already knew how. What he needed to learn was what to do when something went…

Medicare is changing the financial equation for spine surgeons, and reimbursement cuts are only part of it. With thousands of specialists entering mandatory payment models, prior authorization expanding in traditional Medicare and new performance requirements ahead, surgeons face growing financial…

When payers deny or delay indicated spine surgery, the cost doesn’t disappear — it moves to patients, surgeons, hospitals, employers and the broader economy, according to a new Orthopaedic Forum paper published Oct. 1 in The Journal of Bone &…

Spine surgery has more options than ever, but more choices have not necessarily made the biggest decisions any easier. From the push to avoid fusion to the rapid adoption of endoscopy, surgeons are confronting questions about how much intervention is…

Pain management and spine practices are entering a period of unprecedented change. Private equity firms, family offices, venture investors, health systems, and payer-aligned strategic buyers are all sharpening their focus on the sector, and physician groups face consequential decisions about…

Physicians and practice leaders increasingly point to payers as one of the biggest obstacles to running a sustainable practice. From CMS policy changes and declining Medicare reimbursement to private payer prior authorization requirements and coverage denials, administrative and financial strain…

A spine patient can wait months to see a surgeon only to learn at the appointment that surgery is not the next step. They may need physical therapy first. They may need pain management or an injection. They may not…

University Hospitals physician Sepideh Amin-Hanjani, MD, was named president-elect of the American Academy of Neurological Surgery. The appointment was announced at the organization’s annual scientific meeting Sept. 29, according to an Oct. 6 new release from the Cleveland-based health system.…

When Daniel Park, MD, began learning endoscopic spine surgery nearly a decade ago, the surgeons coming up behind him barely knew what to make of it. Fellowship applicants would hear “endoscopic” and think arthroscopy. Many had little interest in learning…

“Minimally invasive” has become one of spine surgery’s most powerful promises. It is also remarkably difficult to define. An operation can be performed through an endoscope, a tubular retractor or a series of small incisions. A surgeon can use conventional…