Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1031444
52 ORTHOPEDICS SurgCenter Development surgeons perform 30K outpatient joint replacements — 4 insights By Eric Oliver S ince SurgCenter Development launched its total joint replacement program in 2013, surgeons have performed 30,000 total joint affiliated centers. Here's what you should know: 1. e milestone procedure was also the ASC company's 10,000th joint replacement procedure in a 12-month span. 2. SurgCenter performed a record number of joint replacements in 2017. Affiliated centers performed 8,300-plus procedures at 87 facilities in 20 states. 3. Affiliated centers discharged 97 percent of joint replacement recipients the same day. Patients needed only four hours to recover, on average. 4. Concerning specific joints, 97 percent of hip replacement patients and 99 percent of uni-knee replacement patients went home the same day. SurgCenter patients had a 0.4 percent readmission rate and all joint replacement-related procedures had a combined infection rate of less than 0.25 percent. SurgCenter Development COO and Principal Greg Fox, MD, said, "No one has been doing as many joint replacements as long and as well as SurgCen- ter Development. As the leader in outpatient joint replacement, SurgCenter supports surgeons who are committed to the highest quality of care in a comfortable setting that provides patients a rapid recovery. It's as much about patient satisfaction as it is about clinical success." n 3 orthopedic surgeons named in $950M kickback scheme, 2 plead guilty By Laura Dyrda O rthopedic surgeon Daniel Capen, MD, of Manhattan Beach, Calif., pled guilty to conspiracy related to a kickback scheme at Long Beach, Calif.-based Pacific Hospital, according to the LA Business Journal. Dr. Capen pled guilty to accepting $142 million in illegal kickbacks. Timothy Hunt, MD, of Palos Verdes Estates, also pled guilty to conspiracy and accepting kickbacks, and Tiffany Rogers, MD, was named in connection with the kickbacks. The U.S. Attorney's Of- fice filed 16 criminal cases against 33 defendants in the case; all together, the perpetrators are accused of involvement in a $2 billion healthcare fraud scheme. The most recent charges, including the charges against Dr. Capen, are related to a $950 million spinal surgery kickback scheme where physicians, pharmacists and others allegedly received payment over a 15-year period for referring patients to have surgeries and other services. The three orthopedic surgeons, along with four others, were ar- raigned in July. n Orthopedic surgery tops specialties for industry payments at $258M By Laura Dyrda O rthopedic surgeons received the highest value of payments, according to the CMS Open Payment Data in 2017. Orthopedic surgeons received $258 million of the $8.4 bil- lion medical device and pharmaceutical companies gave to health- care providers in 2017, according to Policy & Medicine. The next highest value specialty was neurology, which received $93 million. Neurological surgeons received $78 million by comparison. Medtronic SofamorDanek reported 47,908 general transactions and $61.6 million in total general payments. The company also provided $1.6 million in research payments. By comparison, Zimmer Biomet made about $110 million in general payments and $7.4 million in research payments. Stryker provided $68.8 million in general payments and $9.9 million in research payments. DePuy Synthes made $70.8 million in general payments and $8.8 million in research payments. n