Becker's Spine Review

32 OUTPATIENT SURGERY What success in spine will look like in 2020 from 3 surgeons By Laura Dyrda T hree spine surgeons from across the country discuss the big trends in spine today and how their practices will likely change next year. Question: If 2020 is a successful year for you, what will it look like? Scott Boden, MD. Director, e Emory Or- thopaedics & Spine Center (Atlanta): Success next year would be continued growth in spine practice at our institution. Nick Shamie, MD. Professor and Chief of Spine Surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA: e past few years have been challenging in getting some of the newer treatments approved by the payers but I believe we will stabilize in 2020 so we can focus on our patients and the best treatment we can provide them. Richard Wohns, MD, JD. Founder of NeoSpine (Puyallup, Wash.): As of January 2020, we will be incorporating the Globus Ex- celsius Robot into our inpatient spine surgery regimen. In 2020, we are going to move more TLIFs and extreme lateral lumbar interbody fusions into the outpatient spine surgery center. Q: Where will you focus most of your time and energy next year? Dr. Boden: Working to improve quality, de- creasing complications, and decreasing cost of spine care. Dr. Shamie: Our spine division and our depart- ment at UCLA are going through major expan- sion and our focus will be on quality and how we can maintain our highest standards with controlled growth. We are excited to be ranked No. 1 in California, which comes with great op- portunities, but also tremendous responsibili- ties to the communities we serve. Dr. Wohns: Becoming proficient with robotic spine surgery. Q: What do you consider the biggest potential threat to your spine prac- tice? Dr. Boden: e biggest potential threat is the inability to easily measure improved clinical outcomes for certain types of spine procedures. Dr. Shamie: e biggest threat to any surgical specialty is the irresponsible growth of unprov- en treatments and surgeries. As physicians, we need to better define the best indications for the various treatments we have available in our armamentarium, taking into account our pa- tients' needs, financial burden to our systems while maintaining our responsibilities to our patients, our profession and our society. Q: What do you plan to start doing next year, and what will you stop? Dr. Boden: I plan to increase our outcomes data collection efforts. Dr. Shamie: I will stop worrying about the fu- ture and try and do the best I can, every day. Dr. Wohns: I plan to figure out how to continue to care for patients in need, providing the best possible care in a timely fashion, despite esca- lating numbers of denials. Also, aer mastering robotic spine surgery in the hospital, consider robotic applications in the outpatient setting. n 11 PE transactions in orthopedics in 2019 By Alan Condon H ere are 11 private equity transactions involving orthopedic practices and device companies this year: 1. Vail, Colo.-based The Steadman Clinic partnered with Orthopedic Care Partners, which is the holding company for The Orthopaedic Institute and four other practices. Private equity firm Varsity Healthcare Partners backs OCP. 2. Aspen Surgical Products acquired orthopedic product provider Beaty Marketing & Sales to expand its surgical portfolio. Owned by Audax Private Equity, ASP provides surgical and patient safety disposable products to hospitals and ASCs. 3. CrossRoads Extremity Systems, backed by private equity company Healthpoint Capital, acquired four orthopedic implant product lines from Surgical Frontiers. 4. New York-based private -equity firm Kohlberg & Company invested in Greenwich, Conn.-based Orthopaedic Neurosurgery Specialists, a three- location multispecialty group. 5. Cincinnati-based Beacon Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine launched a national management services organization in partnership with private-equity firm Revelstoke Capital Partners. 6. Cora Physical Therapy, a portfolio company of private-equity firm Gryphon Investors, acquired Rockford, Ill.-based Orthopedic and Sports Therapy Institute, expanding its portfolio by six practices. 7. New York-based private-equity firm Kohlberg & Company invested in Greenwich, Conn.-based Orthopaedic Neurosurgery Specialists, a three- location multispecialty group. 8. Linden Capital Partners acquired Collagen Matrix. The company's collagen products can be used in several specialties including the device sectors of neurosurgery, orthopedics, spine and sports medicine. 9. LCP also acquired of Avalign Technologies, a Bannockburn, Ill.- based provider of implants, specialty surgical instruments, cutting tools and cases and trays for orthopedics and acute care. 10. Private equity-backed medical manufacturer Medin Technologies acquired orthopedic implant company Advantage Manufacturing Technologies. Medin acquired the company through its wholly owned subsidiary, AMT Medical. 11. European private equity firm Nordic Capital acquired majority holding in Orchid Orthopedic Solutions from Altor Fund III for an undisclosed sum. n

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