Spine

Researchers analyzed obesity's impact on lumbar spinal fusion patients, according to a Spine study. The study investigated one-year follow-up data of 805 patients. Of these patients, 204 were normal weight, 365 were overweight and 236 were obese.

High-risk patients are 40 percent more likely to experience life-threatening complications after surgery, according to kcrg.com.

Medtronic released results of a seven-year follow-up study in which the two-level Prestige LP Cervical Disc was compared to 2-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.

Spinal cord stimulator implants are now being offered for chronic pain relief at Premier Pain Specialists in Chicago.

Insurance companies in some states implemented a prior authorization program for low back pain patients before receiving surgical care. How well do they work?

Kenneth Pettine, MD, of Johnstown, Colo.-based Spine Institute, shared his experiences using AxioMed's Freedom Lumbar Total Disc Replacement, according to Virtual-Strategy Magazine.

Arman Jahangiri and his team won the Journal of Neuro-Oncology Award for their research, "From Bench to Bedside: National Institutes of Health Funding for Neurosurgeons form 1991-2015," according to newswise.

The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., lists the areas most affected by complications after surgery to treat spinal disorders, as reported by Counsel&Heal.

Buffalo, N.Y.-based UBMD Physicians Group named neurosurgeon Kevin J. Gibbons, MD, executive director.

One part of my job that I enjoy is meeting with different healthcare organizations and groups. Given the richness and complexity of our industry, it's no surprise that I see a pretty wide range of environments. But a few weeks…