Spine

The rollout of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is changing the face of healthcare delivery and reimbursements.

A study recently published in Spine compares arthrodesis rates between patients undergoing single-level minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion with Actifuse or recombinant bone morphogenetic protein-2.

William Tally, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with Athens (Ga.) Orthopedic Institute, discusses outpatient spine surgery trends and how new physicians can begin bringing cases into the ASC.

  Mustafa K. Baskaya, MD; Ricardo J. Komotar, MD; and Krystal L. Tomei, MD; have been appointed ex-officio of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons Executive Committee, by request of the CNS President.

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Medicine's plans to expand its neurosurgery department residency program has been approved by The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, according to a San Antonio Business Journalreport.

In the fall of 2013, Aetna considered changing its medical necessity policy for spine cages, but have revised their coverage decision after responses from spine organizations including the North American Spine Society, according to a NASS letter to its members.

  A study recently published in Spine examines the quality of life for patients undergoing minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion for the first year after surgery.

Here are five big payment issues in spine and pain patient care for this year.

Neurosurgical Associates of Abington (Pa.) announced the addition of Douglas W. Laske, MD, to its physician team.

Seattle-based The Polyclinic announced the addition of orthopedic spine surgeon Sean Keem, MD, to its medical staff.