Tag: Outpatient spine surgery

Analysis: Overuse of back surgeries costs Medicare $2 billion, risks patient safety

Editor's Note More than 200,000 unnecessary back surgeries were performed on older adults from 2019 to 2021, costing Medicare approximately $2 billion and exposing patients to avoidable risks, according to a November 14 analysis from the Lown Institute. The evaluation focused on spinal fusion, laminectomy, and vertebroplasty procedures, which are…

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By: Matt Danford
November 15, 2024
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Countdown to OR Manager Conference: Key strategies for success adding complex spine procedures to ASCs

Editor's Note At last year’s OR Manager Conference, healthcare leader Karen Reiter, RN, CNOR, RNFA, CASC, shared her expertise on integrating complex spine procedures into ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). As the former administrator at DISC Surgery Center at Newport Beach and vice president of operations and payer management at TriasMD,…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
August 14, 2024
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Study: Spinal fusion failure more likely for diabetic patients

Editor's Note Lumbar spinal fusion procedures are significantly more likely to fail in individuals with diabetes, according researchers at The University of Toledo. According to a July 9 EurekAlert! report on the study, published in JBMR Plus, diabetic patients are already known to have a higher risk of infection from…

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By: Matt Danford
August 6, 2024
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Survey: ASC volume rising amid limited staffing improvement

Data and surveys

Takeaways • Compared to 2023, the percentage of respondents reporting an increase in open positions for RNs and STs, as well as increased turnover for RNs, remained stable, but fewer reported a drop in ST turnover. • The percentage of respondents reporting hiring more managers set a 9-year record. •…

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By: Cynthia Saver, MS, RN
August 1, 2024
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New report predicts surge in ASC volume over next decade

Editor's Note New findings from health consultant Sg2’s 2024 Impact of Change report projects a 21% increase in ambulatory surgery center (ASC) volume, to reach 44 million by 2034, ASC Focus July 8 reports. An aging population, better diagnostics, and epidemiological factors are driving this demand, Tori Richie, senior consulting…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
July 17, 2024
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Surgery-preventing spinal stimulation poised for FDA approval

Editor's Note A recent trial marks the last hurdle for researchers to request regulatory approval for a noninvasive alternative to spinal surgery, according to a May 20 report in MIT Technology Review. Onward Medical’s ACRex device delivers electrical stimulation to the spinal cord via two wired electrodes placed just below…

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By: Matt Danford
May 23, 2024
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Study: Weight-loss drug semaglutide boosts repeat surgery risk

Editor's Note Popular weight-loss \ drug semaglutide could significantly increase risk for repeat operations patients with diabetes who undergo lumbar surgery. According to a May 8 report in Medscape Medical News, the findings are pending review for publication and reportedly provides the first evidence on the impact of semaglutide on…

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By: Matt Danford
May 17, 2024
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US News & World Report best ASCs ranking now available

US news and world report

Editor's Note With the goal of helping patients choose if outpatient care is right for them and identify the right ambulatory surgery center (ASC) for their needs, US News & World Report unveiled on May 14 its inaugural ranking of the best ASCs in the US. Reportedly, “fewer than 15%…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
May 15, 2024
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Surgical site infections often caused by preexisting bacteria

Editor's Note Most healthcare-associated surgical site infections are not caused by pathogens acquired in the hospital, but by previously harmless bacteria already present on patients’ skin prior to being admitted, according to a study published April 10 in Science Translational Medicine. Surgical site infections account for the highest annual costs…

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By: Brita Belli
April 29, 2024
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One patient’s recovery highlights benefits of outpatient endoscopic spine surgery

Editor's Note A 64-year-old patient sought a second opinion with Kern Singh, MD, an orthopedic surgeon, when told he needed a second spine surgery to address complications from a previous procedure. Dr Singh, director of spine surgery at Midwest Orthopaedics at RUSH in Chicago, performs endoscopic spine surgery in the…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
April 24, 2024
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