Written by Laura Dyrda
Spine surgery is an expensive procedure, but for patients who would benefit from surgical correction the long-term economic benefits can far outweigh the initial cost of care. Especially with new minimally invasive and outpatient spine procedures, the cost of spine surgery has dramatically decreased over the past few years.
For example, a November 2013 study published in The Spine Journal showed the direct hospital costs were $19,512 for patients who underwent minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion, compared with $23,550 for the open procedure.
A further article published in 2012 in Spine examined the cost and quality-adjusted life year for single-level instrumented posterolateral lumbar fusion for patients with degenerative lumbar spine conditions. The researchers found:
• Cost per QALY gained at the five-year postoperative interval was $33,018.
• The analogous average direct cost based on Medicare reimbursement for five years was $20,669, with a resultant cost per QALY gained of $30,053.
