Hospital Claims 20% Savings with NuVasive Procedure
According to medical device manufacturer NuVasive, Providence Medford Medical Center in Medford, OR has recorded a 20% cost savings when using the company’s XLIF (eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion) procedure for lumbar spine fusion surgery compared to a traditional ALIF (anterior) approach. The typical XLIF procedure uses one large implant versus two (or more) implants in the typical ALIF procedure. Providence attributes lower cost of care to hospital stays shorter by two and a half days on average. Since the technique uses two one-inch incisions instead of a larger 4-6 inch one, it is less invasive which makes it desirable for some patient profiles and allows quicker recovery. The hospital uses a Macromedia Flash animation to market the procedure to patients.
The XLIF procedure allows spine surgeons to achieve a direct lateral approach to the patient’s intervertebral disc space through the psoas muscle as compared to more traditional open procedures which use an anterior (through the abdomen) or posterior (through the back muscle) approach. A year ago NuVasive announced the results of its study with U.S. surgeons. See this primer from the San Diego Center for Spinal Disorders to tell apart the PLIF, TLIF, ALIF and XLIF techniques.
July 5, 2006 Related topics: Surgery, Cost savings