Authors of a study published in Spine estimate more than $126 million is spent annually on intraoperative spine waste, and a simple educational program could significantly reduce that cost in the future.
Researchers collected data over 25 months at an academic medical center and recorded the total number of spine procedures and incidence of intraoperative waste. They found intraoperative waste occurred in 20.2 percent of the procedures performed prior to implementing an educational program and 10.3 percent of the procedures after the program was implemented.
The monthly costs associated with spine surgical waste were $17,680 on average before the awareness intervention and $5,876 afterwards. The surgical waste was 4.3 percent of the total operative spine budget before the intervention and 1.2 percent afterwards.
The educational program promoted awareness among surgeons about their intraoperative choices and the cost related to surgical waste.
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The monthly costs associated with spine surgical waste were $17,680 on average before the awareness intervention and $5,876 afterwards. The surgical waste was 4.3 percent of the total operative spine budget before the intervention and 1.2 percent afterwards.
The educational program promoted awareness among surgeons about their intraoperative choices and the cost related to surgical waste.
Related Articles on Spine Surgery:
Study: Girls With Scoliosis Weigh Less, Have Lower BMI
Study: Spinal Manipulation Therapy and Maintenance Improves Low Back Pain
Study: Unilateral Pedicle Screw Fixation Effective After LTIF