Bobby Bhatti, MD, is a spine surgeon focused on minimally invasive treatments for his patients. He is Atlanta Spine's founder of and a North American Spine Society, International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery and Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery member.
Dr. Bhatti is a featured speaker at the Becker's 17th Annual Future of Spine + The Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference, June 13-15 in Chicago. Click here to learn more and register. For more information about exhibitor and sponsor opportunities, contact Maura Jodoin at mjodoin@beckershealthcare.com.
Here, Dr. Bhatti discusses his practice's growth and where he sees outpatient spine surgery headed in the future.
Question: How do you plan on growing your practice over the next 2-3 years? What are the best opportunities in your market?
Dr. Bobby Bhatti: Our growth continues to focus on changing the referral patterns in our city. It is imperative that referrers realize we offer all the latest technological advances to our spine patients, because we focus our practice solely on the spine.
Q: In what ways are you seeing technology and implants change? What are the smartest developments on the horizon?
BB: We are seeing a lot in sterile packaging for ASCs. This is a significant cost reduction and quality control measure that helps outpatient surgery significantly. I think robotics, albeit a great marketing gimmick, has a long way to go. Most of us spine surgeons know how to put in a pedicle screw; the real achievement will be operating through a remote station.
Q: What role do you see outpatient surgery centers playing in the orthopedics and spine field in the future?
BB: Hospitals as we know them are a thing of the past. ASCs provide boutique care, that is more efficient [and] more cost effective with less infection rates. We hope that reimbursement will reflect that as the insurance carriers see our results.