As spine surgery continues to shift to the outpatient setting, here are 9 things to know about endoscopic spine surgery and ASCs:
1. One of the most common ASC-based spine procedures — CPT code 63685, insertion or replacement of spinal neurostimulator pulse generator or receiver, direct or inductive coupling — is seeing a reimbursement cut in 2024.
2. Three physician leaders told Becker's how they are using outpatient spine to help grow their facilities.
3. Medical device company Centinel Spine saw its Prodisc total disc replacement sales grow 56% in the ASC setting between 2022 and 2023.
4. In October, Captiva Spine's WatchTower navigation system for minimally invasive lumbar spinal fusion was used for the first time in an ASC.
5. InSpan, an interspinous-interlaminar fixation device used for treating degenerative spine disease, was recently granted a patent for its interspinous technique and instruments designed for treating spinal stenosis and fusion in ASCs.
6. Spine procedures are nearly always cheaper when performed in the ASC setting compared to the hospital outpatient department setting.
7. A study published in Spine found there weren't any significant differences in complication rates between outpatient and inpatient cervical disc replacement.
8. On average, CMS covers more of the cost for cervical disc replacements at an HOPD compared to an ASC.
9. One California-based system had a record year for patient volume and revenue, and it attributes much of the success to a growing number of spine cases that can be performed in the ASC setting.