Open AccessSpine Instrumented Surgery on a Budget—Tools for Lowering Cost Without Changing Outcome
Author(s) -
Ilyas Eli,
Robert G. Whitmore,
Zoher Ghogawala
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
global spine journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.398
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 2192-5690
pISSN - 2192-5682
DOI - 10.1177/21925682211004895
Subject(s) - medicine , spinal surgery , spinal fusion , indirect costs , standardization , cost driver , surgery , medline , operations management , accounting , marketing , political science , law , business , economics
Study Design: Review article.Objectives: There have been substantial increases in the utilization of complex spinal surgery in the last 20 years. Spinal instrumented surgery is associated with high costs as well as significant variation in approach and care. The objective of this manuscript is to identify and review drivers of instrumented spine surgery cost and explain how surgeons can reduce costs without compromising outcome.Methods: A literature search was conducted using PubMed. The literature review returned 217 citations. 27 publications were found to meet the inclusion criteria. The relevant literature on drivers of spine instrumented surgery cost is reviewed.Results: The drivers of cost in instrumented spine surgery are varied and include implant costs, complications, readmissions, facility-based costs, surgeon-driven preferences, and patient comorbidities. Each major cost driver represents an opportunity for potential reductions in cost. With high resource utilization and often uncertain outcomes, spinal surgery has been heavily scrutinized by payers and hospital systems, with efforts to reduce costs and standardize surgical approach and care pathways.Conclusions: Education about cost and commitment to standardization would be useful strategies to reduce cost without compromising patient-reported outcomes after instrumented spinal fusion.