Surgery

Orthopedic surgery generally safe for patients age 80 and older

Over the past decade, a greater number of patients, age 80 and older, are having elective orthopaedic surgery. A new study appearing in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS) found that these surgeries are generally ...

Surgery

Why can't anyone tell me how much this surgery will cost?

Thanks to rising annual deductibles and a push toward consumer-driven health care, people are increasingly encouraged to shop around for medical care. Many states or state hospital associations have price transparency initiatives, ...

Health

Omega-3 supplements don't increase surgical blood loss

(HealthDay)—Omega-3 fatty acid (n-3FA) supplements do not correlate with higher perioperative blood loss during spinal fusion procedures, according to a study published in the December issue of the European Spine Journal.

Surgery

Fusion not always necessary for back pain from stenosis

(HealthDay)—Spinal fusion surgery is too often used to treat lower back pain caused by stenosis when decompression would suffice, but is still beneficial for select patients, according to a pair of new clinical trials published ...

Surgery

Unplanned readmission common after spine fusion

(HealthDay)—For patients undergoing spine fusion for adult spinal deformity, unplanned hospital readmissions are relatively common and are often related to surgical site infections, according to a study published in the ...

Surgery

How awake spinal surgery benefits patients

Mayo Clinic is among the first in the world to perform a spinal fusion surgery, called TLIF, with robotic assistance and incorporating spinal anesthesia, meaning the patient is awake. TLIF stands for transforaminal lumbar ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Tests don't predict outcome after spine fusion for back pain

(HealthDay)—Currently, there is no test available to reliably predict which patients with chronic low back pain (LBP) will achieve a good clinical outcome after spinal fusion surgery, according to the results of a literature ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Low vitamin D levels common among spinal fusion patients

(HealthDay)—A substantially high number of patients undergoing spinal fusion have a vitamin D deficiency or inadequacy, according to a study published in the March 15 issue of Spine.

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