At the 11th Annual Spine, Orthopedic & Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference on June 14, a panel including David Abraham, MD, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with The Reading (Pa.) Neck & Spine Center, Khawar Siddique, MD, MBA, a spine surgeon with Beverly Hills Spine Surgery, and Rafe Sales, MD, orthopedic surgeon and founder of Summit Spine Institute in Portland, Ore., discussed what they see in the near future for spine surgery. The panel was moderated by Gretchen Heinze Townshend, a partner with McGuireWoods.
Spine surgery advances with the help of technology, and the three panelists discussed what technical innovation they see coming down the pike in the next five years. Dr. Abraham explained that his practice is one of the "old school" practices when it comes to spine surgery and that he has not pursued minimally invasive surgery. "The way I look at innovation in spine care, it [has] remained incredibly conservative and steady state," he said.
One the other hand, Dr. Siddique and Dr. Sales see new innovations coming in the industry. For Dr. Siddique, it's new spinal implant products. "Push the companies to make products to be used in the outpatient setting," he said. Dr. Sales noted biologics as an exciting technological innovation he sees in the future.
Another topic of discussion was around consolidation in healthcare and if the spine industry will see consolidation coming in each panelists' individual markets. In his market in Pennsylvania, Dr. Abraham said he would like to see the consolidation of spine into multispecialty spine centers. "Data has shown that an integrated care model, with pain management and everyone under one roof, will prove to be patient and cost effective," he said.
In southern California, Dr. Siddique said he would like to see new spine surgeons resist the urge to become a hospital employee. Instead, they should "get some same-minded individuals [together] and form a group," he said. "My goal is to get all spine guys into large, independent private groups."
Spine surgery advances with the help of technology, and the three panelists discussed what technical innovation they see coming down the pike in the next five years. Dr. Abraham explained that his practice is one of the "old school" practices when it comes to spine surgery and that he has not pursued minimally invasive surgery. "The way I look at innovation in spine care, it [has] remained incredibly conservative and steady state," he said.
One the other hand, Dr. Siddique and Dr. Sales see new innovations coming in the industry. For Dr. Siddique, it's new spinal implant products. "Push the companies to make products to be used in the outpatient setting," he said. Dr. Sales noted biologics as an exciting technological innovation he sees in the future.
Another topic of discussion was around consolidation in healthcare and if the spine industry will see consolidation coming in each panelists' individual markets. In his market in Pennsylvania, Dr. Abraham said he would like to see the consolidation of spine into multispecialty spine centers. "Data has shown that an integrated care model, with pain management and everyone under one roof, will prove to be patient and cost effective," he said.
In southern California, Dr. Siddique said he would like to see new spine surgeons resist the urge to become a hospital employee. Instead, they should "get some same-minded individuals [together] and form a group," he said. "My goal is to get all spine guys into large, independent private groups."