Outpatient Spine

Spine surgery is moving outpatient quickly, but the hospital is not disappearing from the equation. Lumbar fusions, cervical disc replacements and endoscopic procedures that once routinely required hospitalization are increasingly being performed in ASCs. The harder question now is where…

Spine surgery has long come with a basic tradeoff: To see more anatomy, surgeons often have to expose more of it. Bayan Aghdasi, MD, believes augmented reality is beginning to break that relationship. After using AR guidance in nearly 200…

Advances in endoscopic surgery, robotics, motion preservation and complex reconstruction are expanding what is possible in spine care. Surgeons across the country are helping drive that progress while advancing research, refining surgical techniques and educating the next generation. The following…

Spine surgeons are tracking several Medicare reimbursement changes that could affect professional fees, ASC economics and future Part B payments. Some are included in CMS’ proposed 2027 Physician Fee Schedule and outpatient payment rules. Another, the Ambulatory Specialty Model, has…

Spine robotics have become a significant investment for hospitals and ASCs, but realizing a return can depend on more than acquiring the technology. Nine spine surgeons discuss what separates programs that extract real value from robotics from those that struggle…

Nima Salari, MD, is not opposed to spinal fusion. He is opposed to making it the starting point. Before immobilizing a segment of the spine, the spine surgeon at Phoenix-based Desert Institute for Spine Care considers whether the same problem…

Medicare improperly paid an estimated $15.2 million for sacroiliac joint injection sessions that did not meet Medicare requirements between Oct. 1, 2023, and Sept. 30, 2024, according to an Aug. 5 report from HHS’ Office of Inspector General. The OIG…

Health systems and physician-led pain and spine platforms are both acquiring independent spine practices in 2026, and the pace picked up in July. Financial terms were not disclosed in any of the practice transactions below. Here are six deals and…

Motion preservation has gone from a niche concept to one of the biggest shifts in spine surgery. As artificial disc replacement, minimally invasive techniques and other fusion alternatives continue to evolve, a growing group of surgeons is redefining how spine…

Spine and orthopedic malpractice cases produced jury awards and settlements ranging from $750,000 to $27 million over the past year. Here are three cases Becker’s reported on, ordered by amount. Editor’s note: This list is not exhaustive and includes only…