Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1454979
12 ORTHOPEDICS Leave spinal fusions to the surgeons, spine societies warn By Laura Dyrda T he recent technology advances in spine surgery allow for less inva- sive procedures and outpatient surgeries. But several spine societies have come together to warn against non-spine surgeons performing spinal arthrodesis. e American Academy of Orthopae- dic Surgeons, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery, were among the professional organizations that worked together on a position statement about spinal arthrod- esis performed by non-spine surgeons. e statement was adopted in October and made public Jan. 12. "As patient demand for minimally inva- sive techniques has increased, a signifi- cant number of non-surgeon clinicians now perform arthrodesis procedures that alter the biomechanics of the spine — despite the fact that arthrodesis of the spine remains outside the scope of train- ing curriculum of physiatrists and pain management anesthesiologists who are currently performing these procedures," reads the statement. e statement also highlights the dif- ference in training between spine and neurosurgeons, and non-operative specialists: "Optimal patient care and pa- tient safety are best served when surgical diseases affecting the spine are managed by neurosurgeons and orthopedic spinal surgeons trained in the full spectrum of spinal biomechanics, including instrumentation and fusion techniques. erefore, arthrodesis or any other intervention that alters the biomechanics of the spine should not be performed by practitioners in other fields outside of specialty-trained neurosurgery or ortho- pedic spinal surgeons." n AAOS files brief supporting challenges of No Surprises Act rule By Carly Behm T he American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons joined in filing an am- icus brief supporting the American Medical Association and the American Hospital Association's lawsuit challenging the implementation of the No Surprises Act. The brief, filed Jan. 7, argues that regulators acted in contrast to the statutory requirements and purpose of the No Surprises Act, according to a Jan. 11 news release. It is led by the Physicians Advocacy Institute, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. Other organizations backing the brief include the American Osteopathic Association and the North American Spine Society. "It quite literally took an act of Congress and years of tireless advocacy to deter- mine a fair solution to this problem that has been plaguing patients for years, only to have those efforts squandered by these reckless regulations," AAOS president Daniel Guy, MD, said in the release. "In turning to legal action, we remain committed to protecting patients from the heavy hand of insurers and ensuring that the imbalance of power in good faith negotiations over payment disputes is not further exacerbated." The AAOS previously submitted formal comments to regulators in response to the Requirements Related to Surprise Billing Part II Interim Final Rule. n Employee at Illinois orthopedic group gets 1 year in prison for fraudulent opioid scripts By Alan Condon A n administrative assistant at Westmont, Ill.-based Hinsdale Orthopaedics has been sentenced to one year in prison for writing fraudulent opioid prescriptions. From 2017 to 2019, Amanda Biesiada fraudulently wrote 85 prescriptions to an acquaintance for hydrocodone and oxycodone, among other controlled sub- stances, the Justice Department said in a Jan. 18 news release. Ms. Biesiada is not a licensed physician and could not legally prescribe medications without the direction and approval of licensed physicians. Ms. Biesiada wrote the prescriptions on behalf of six providers at Hinsdale Ortho- paedics who did not direct or approve them, according to the Justice Department. Prosecutors said Ms. Biesiada tried to conceal the prescriptions by marking them as "filed in error" in the practice's prescription system. Ms. Biesiada was handed the prison sentence after she pleaded guilty in 2021 to intentionally dispensing controlled substances outside the scope of profes- sional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. Hinsdale Orthopaedics is a 31-physician practice that merged with Des Plaines- based Illinois Bone & Joint Institute, the state's largest physician-owned muscu- loskeletal group, in April 2020. n