Back Surgeries Unveiled: What You Should ...

Back Surgeries Unveiled: What You Should Know

Oct 21, 2023

by Dennis Bruns, Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy Specialist

When it comes to back surgeries, there’s a whole world behind the scenes you ought to know about. Failed procedures can bring about some pretty serious consequences, and the truth about them often remains hidden. But there are some real heroes in the field, like Professor Charles Rosen from California and Dr. John Nordt from Florida, who’ve stepped up to blow the whistle on these issues. They’ve even risked their own job security to show the tough reality.

Recently, whistleblowers Bill Reynolds and Mark Sersansie revealed some shocking stuff happening in California. They brought to light a gigantic billion-dollar surgery scam that had a huge impact on countless patients. Imagine, they were using fake hardware in spinal surgeries, causing immense harm. This case is a striking example of organized crime within the healthcare system, where surgeons, middlemen, and hospital administrators were secretly working together. It’s one of the biggest cases ever exposed in the state.

The message here is that staying informed is super important. Never just trust things blindly. Sadly, when it comes to failed back surgeries, spinal surgeons are hardly ever held accountable. So, if you ever become a victim, getting the right information and compensation won’t be a walk in the park. Legal battles can drag on for years.

Physician-Owned Distributorships (PODs): What You Need to Know

You should definitely know about Physician-Owned Distributorships (PODs). These are groups of medical doctors, mostly surgeons, who have legal agreements to buy spinal hardware. The big issue here is that these surgeons make money from their own referrals, which can lead to some pretty questionable situations. The chance to make a lot of money, combined with royalties from these practices, can seriously tempt surgeons into doing surgeries that may not even be needed.

Some of the riskiest surgeries, especially those involving lots of hardware, are also the ones that bring in the most money for surgeons and are most dangerous for patients. To put it in perspective, a spinal surgery can be up to ten times more financially rewarding for a surgeon compared to a brain operation.

The bottom line: Don’t let yourself become a victim of unnecessary back surgeries. Take some time to be cautious, do your homework, and trust your gut when getting advice from healthcare professionals. Your well-being is at stake, and being sharp-minded can make all the difference.

Watch your back!

Physio Dennis Bruns

Copyright: Physio Dennis Bruns

References:

DuBois, J.M., Chibnall, J.T., Anderson, E.E. et al. Exploring unnecessary invasive procedures in the United States: a retrospective mixed-methods analysis of cases from 2008-2016. Patient Saf Surg 11, 30 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13037-017-0144-y

Epstein NE. Are recommended spine operations either unnecessary or too complex? Evidence from second opinions. Surg Neurol Int. 2013 Oct 29;4(Suppl 5):S353-8. doi: 10.4103/2152-7806.120774. PMID: 24340231; PMCID: PMC3841934.

Epstein NE, Hood DC. "Unnecessary" spinal surgery: A prospective 1-year study of one surgeon's experience. Surg Neurol Int. 2011;2:83. doi: 10.4103/2152-7806.82249. Epub 2011 Jun 21. PMID: 21776403; PMCID: PMC3130462.

Medress ZA, Jin MC, Feng A, Varshneya K, Veeravagu A. Medical malpractice in spine surgery: a review. Neurosurg Focus. 2020 Nov;49(5):E16. doi: 10.3171/2020.8.FOCUS20602. PMID: 33130625.

Robaina-Padrón FJ. Controversias de la cirugía instrumentada y el tratamiento del dolor lumbar por enfermedad degenerativa. Resultados de la evidencia científica [Controversies about instrumented surgery and pain relief in degenerative lumbar spine pain. Results of scientific evidence]. Neurocirugia (Astur). 2007 Oct;18(5):406-13. Spanish. PMID: 18008014.

Tayade MC, Dalvi SD. Fundamental Ethical Issues in Unnecessary Surgical Procedures. J Clin Diagn Res. 2016;10(4):JE01-JE4. doi: 10.7860/JCDR/2016/18958.7694.

                                                                                                              

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