Outpatient Spine

There are more than 170 ASCs that perform minimally invasive spine surgery.

Orthopedic spine surgeon Dwight Tyndall, MD, will become a partner at Chesterton, Ind.-based Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute in January, according to a December announcement.

 Patients undergoing Vertos Medical's minimally invasive lumbar spinal stenosis procedure will receive increased reimbursement under new CMS rules, according to a Dec. 8 news release.

Since the beginning of October, Becker's ASC Review has reported on two new and proposed spine surgery centers:

Fargo, N.D.-based Northern Neurosurgery & Spine is set to lease space in a $16 million medical facility with a surgery center in Duluth, Minn., according to the Duluth News Tribune.

CMS will use prior authorization to reduce unnecessary increases in the volume of covered outpatient spine services next year.

In October, Raymond Gardocki, MD, joined Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., where he will help develop the endoscopic spine surgery program.

Awake spinal fusion is a novel approach to spine surgery that fuses minimally invasive or endoscopic surgical techniques with contemporary anesthesia. 

Newark, Del.-based ChristianaCare and Newark-based Delaware Neurosurgical Group are contemplating developing a joint venture spine ASC for $4.8 million, the Delaware Business Times reported Oct. 28.

CMS released the 2021 Proposed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule in August, which would reduce relative value unit conversion factor from $36.09 to $32.26.