Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1425344
6 SPINE SURGEONS 6 numbers that are making spine surgeons nervous By Carly Behm F rom fighting CMS policy proposals to challenges with rising COVID-19 cases, spine surgeons have faced multiple hurdles since 2020. Six numbers reflecting challenges ahead for spine surgeons: 1. CMS' inpatient-only list: CMS' 2022 propos- al would put 71 spine procedures on the inpa- tient-only list. ASC administrators have described the proposal as "an obvious step backwards," and if implemented, the move would challenge outpatient migration for spine surgery. 2. e COVID-19 delta variant: e delta variant of COVID-19 has put more strain on hospitals and elective procedures at many centers. As of Oct. 25, over 736,000 people in the U.S. had died aer con- tracting COVID-19, e New York Times reported. 3. Prior authorizations: A survey from the Amer- ican Medical Association found 85 percent of all physicians described burdens associated with prior authorizations as high or extremely high. A July 1 rule from CMS requiring prior authorization for cervical fusions went forward despite opposition from surgeons and physician societies. 4. Undervalued spine care: e work relative value units assigned to open decompression and inter- laminar stabilization are undervalued, according to a study from the International Journal of Spine Surgery. Open decompression and interlaminar sta- bilization had a 13.5 work relative value units while the most comparable procedure, laminectomy, has a 15.37 wRVU. 5. Orthopedic surgeon shortage: By 2025, ortho- pedic surgeons are expected to be in high demand. By that time, there will be an estimated 24,350 orthopedic surgeons in the U.S., but a projected demand of 29,000, according to Merritt Hawkins' 2021 Review of Physician and Advanced Practi- tioner Recruiting Incentives. 6. Recovering pre-pandemic salary: Less than half of physicians expect to reach pre-pandemic income levels in the next year, according to Medscape's "Physician Compensation Report 2021." Forty-two percent of physicians believe they will return to pre-pandemic income within the next year, and 41 percent expect to hit that figure in the next two to three years. n Dr. Sheeraz Qureshi operates on Whoopi Goldberg's back at Hospital for Special Surgery By Carly Behm Spine surgeon Sheeraz Qureshi, MD, operated on daytime television host Whoopi Goldberg, she said on The View. She said she had surgery for a sciatica flare up at New York City- based Hospital for Special Surgery, according to a Sept. 28 clip from The View. "It was like night and day," Ms. Goldberg said about her recovery. Dr. Qureshi is research director of the Spine Service as HSS. He's recognized for his work with minimally invasive spine surgery. n Appellate court OKs $10M award in wrongful death lawsuit against Laser Spine Institute By Alan Condon A Pennsylvania appeals court rejected arguments that a $10 million verdict in a patient death lawsuit against the now defunct Laser Spine Institute was so excessive that it required a new trial. Five details: 1. The case was brought to the Pennsylvania Superior Court after a lower court ruled that the $10 million award was disproportionately large when compared to awards plaintiffs in the state had won over the deaths of loved ones, according to court documents. 2. The lawsuit alleged that Tampa, Fla.-based Laser Spine Institute dis- charged the patient in question when she had a significant amount of Dilaudid, an anesthetic, in her system. The patient died hours later with postoperative instructions to take additional pain medicine. 3. A jury initially awarded the patient's estate $20 million — $10 million for wrongful death and $10 million under the Survival Act. A judge revoked the $10 million award under the Survival Act, and Laser Spine Institute appealed the wrongful death award. 4. In April 2020, an appellate court determined the $10 million award was excessive and vacated it. 5. In a Sept. 30 ruling that affirmed the $10 million award, the Penn- sylvania Superior Court found that the award amount was "not against the weight of the evidence" and "determining how much a relation- ship is worth to survivors is a determination best suited for the collec- tive life experience and impartial community viewpoint of a jury." n