Spinal Surgery
Joint Commission offers Advanced Certification for Spine Surgery
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on February 24 announced that it will be offering an Advanced Certification for Spine Surgery (ACSS) in collaboration with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). The new program will be available in July to hospitals, critical access hospitals, and ambulatory surgery centers that perform…
Diligence in implant processing will decrease infection risks
Implants are foreign bodies, and they increase the risk of a surgical site infection. Processing implants requires strict adherence to the required steps because implants have sustained contact with sterile tissue. An implant is defined as a device that is placed into a surgically or naturally formed cavity of the…
Joint Commission seeks feedback on proposed requirements for spine surgery certification
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on September 23 announced that it is seeking feedback on proposed requirements for its Advanced Certification in Spine Surgery. In collaboration with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the Joint Commission developed the proposed spine surgery related requirements to include: program structure delivery of care…
ACS opposes proposed Medicare physician fee schedule
Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons (ACS) on August 4 announced that it is strongly opposed to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule for CY 2021. In the fee schedule, which is set to take place January 1, 2021, Medicare payments will…
Impact of COVID-19 on spine surgeons
Editor's Note This study of spine surgeons around the world found they are experiencing the effects of COVID-19, including canceled procedures, changes in clinical roles, anxiety, and risk of exposure to the disease itself because of insufficient protective equipment. Researchers evaluated survey responses from 902 spine surgeons with membership in…
CMS releases 2020 final payment rule for ASCs, HOPDs
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on November 1 released its final payment rule for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs). CMS added eight codes to the ASC-payable list, including total knee arthroplasty. CMS also removed total hip arthroplasty and seven spine codes from…
Preop opioid score not linked to adverse outcomes after spine surgery
Editor's Note NarxCare, an opioid-use score based on state prescription databases, is not associated with adverse outcomes or patient satisfaction after elective spine surgery, this study finds. Multivariate logistic regression analysis of 346 elective spine surgery patients did not find statistically significant odds of experiencing adverse events, readmissions, reoperations, and…
Sleep disorders linked to more healthcare visits, higher costs for back pain
Editor's Note Many patients with low back pain also have sleep disorders, which are linked to more healthcare visits and higher costs for back pain treatment, this study finds. In this analysis of 757 patients with low back pain attending self-management classes at a US military hospital, 195 had a…
FDA: Class I recall of Brainlab Spine & Trauma 3D Navigation Software
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on April 15 identified the recall of Brainlab's Spine & Trauma 3D Navigation Software as Class I, the most serious. The Software is being recalled because of the potential for incorrect information to display during surgery, which may prevent the surgeon from…
ACDF can be performed safely in outpatient setting
Editor's Note Removal of multiple herniated or degenerative discs in the neck, known as anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), can be safely performed in an outpatient setting, finds this study presented March 13 at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in Las Vegas. Of 103 patients included in the…
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