Spinal Fusion: In a premiere broadcast on May 11th, 12:00 PM EDT (16:00:00 UTC) join Neurosurgeon Andrew Rhea and Orthopaedic surgeon Bill Edwards as they demonstrate Innovative Reconstructive Care of the Cervical Spine.
Spine disorders account for an estimated 130 million outpatient, hospital and emergency room visits in the U.S. each year–to put this in perspective total health care expenditures on neck and back pain represented 1% of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product. The enormous costs for care and lost productivity together pose a double-barrel threat… to the economy, but also, continued access to affordable care for patients.
Innovations in cervical spine surgery have radically changed the cost and outcomes of care. Surgery has become less invasive, leading to shorter recovery and lower hospital bills. Along with techniques that spare normal tissues and reduce postoperative pain and disability, motion preservation with artifical disks, rather than fusion, have the potential to alter the future course of the disease.
