Becker's ASC Review

69 ORTHOPEDICS has already proven effective. But the overarching feeling by most surgeons is that more research must be conducted. "As clinicians, we must be cautious in the way we communicate about it with our patients," according to Vladimir Sinkov, MD, of Las Vegas-based Sinkov Spine Center. "Our opinions and treatment decisions must be based on sound scientific judgment and available high-quality research, which is still very scant." 9. Robotics. Robotics have made significant strides in spine over the past decade, but still lag be- hind robotics in other specialties, such as general surgery, urology and OB/GYN. Ro- bots have impressed with their improved precision in the placement of pedicle screws and limiting radiation exposure in the OR, but their high cost and learning curve have somewhat curbed adoption. However, they are expected to continue to advance and expand beyond assisting surgeons with screws in the future. "In order to gain wider adoption, robots need to be less expensive and cumbersome, and improve efficiencies and outcomes for all surgeons, including those with the greatest experience and outcomes," said Ali H. Mesiwala, MD, of DISC Sports & Spine Center in Newport Beach, Calif. "Similarly, when the cost of robotic surgery decreases to an amount that can be absorbed by private practice facilities and ASCs, and insurance/Medicare pro- vide payment or incentives for its adoption, widespread adoption will follow." 10. Endoscopic spine surgery. Endoscopic spine surgery is steadily picking up steam among surgeons, particularly in the outpatient setting, and has been demonstrated to lower complication risks, reduce blood loss and lead to quicker recovery times for patients. "One of the cool things about endoscopic procedures is it's allowed me to do decom- pressions on many different patients who would have traditionally obtained a fu- sion," said Peter Derman, MD, of Texas Back Institute in Plano. "You can sometimes decompress transforaminally even to the center of the canal without destabilizing the segment in any way. As our disc replacement devices improve, and our ability to decompress without destabilizing improves, we're going to see more and more of a trend away from fusion as a treatment paradigm." n Woman dies after shooting at Florida spine office By Alan Condon A woman who was shot July 26 at BioSpine Institute in Spring Hill, Fla., died a few hours later in surgery at a local trauma center, according to local police. In a July 26 statement, the Hernando County Sheriff's Office in Brooksville, Fla., said it received multiple 911 calls from BioSpine about a late morning shooting at the office, and about 30 deputies responded. The victim, who had multiple gunshot wounds, was airlifted to a trauma center in critical condition where she died during afternoon surgery, ac- cording to the statement. A 72-year-old man who is a relative of the victim has confessed to the shoot- ing and is being charged, according to the statement. BioSpine provided the following statement: "Unfortunately, two visitors to the Bio- Spine Spring Hill Clinic Office were involved in a domestic dispute that resulted in tragedy. The two individu- als were apparently known to each other, and neither were employed by Biospine. Fortunately, no staff or other visitors were injured in this incident, and staff and all others were able to find safe shelter without any further involvement. The person responsible for this reprehensible act is in custody and facing charges. We will continue to work with law enforcement as nec- essary and appreciate their prompt response to the situation. "The safety of staff and patients is of the utmost importance to Biospine and we are relieved that this appears to be an isolated incident. Thank you for your understanding during this difficult time and please be assured that Biospine is dedicated to your care and safety." n Dr. Todd Lanman implants first M6-C disc in 2-level spinal arthroplasty study By Carly Behm O rthofix's M6-C artificial disc is being evaluated for contiguous two- level symptomatic cervical radiculopathy, according to an Aug. 2 news release. Four things to know: 1. The first patient implant was completed by spine surgeon Todd Lan- man, MD; 263 patients were enrolled in the study. 2. The FDA is conducting a U.S. Investigational Device Exemption study to compare the M6-C artificial disc and the anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for treating two-level symptomatic cervical radiculopathy. 3. Dr. Lanman said: "The M6-C artificial cervical disc two-level study will provide additional data to validate the effectiveness of disc re- placement over fusion in patients suffering from degeneration in two contiguous levels." 4. Previous long-term studies have shown patients who received the M6-C in an artificial cervical disc single-level clinical trial "continue to have sta- tistically significant benefits at three and four years" compared to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion patients. n

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