Volumes of Procedures
What are we measuring?
The number of inpatient back, neck, and spinal fusion procedures. We also keep track of the number of outpatient back and neck procedures, as well as outpatient pain injections performed each quarter by BIDMC's Spine Center.
Inpatient surgical spine procedures include:
- Laminectomies - surgery to remove a small portion of a vertebra (back bone). The part removed is called the lamina.
- Discectomies - surgery that removes part of the inter-vertebral discs located between each backbone (vertebra); usually to decompress a nerve root on the spinal cord.
- Spinal Fusion - surgery involving removing damaged disc and bone from between two vertebrae and inserting material (bone graft) that promotes bone growth. As the bone grows, the two vertebrae join together (fuse).
Why is this important?
Studies have found that surgical teams with experience — that is, routinely performing a sufficient number of cases — get better results.
What is our most recent performance and trend?
What we are doing to improve?
The Spine Center surgical teams have continued to see a steady increase in the number of back, neck and spine procedures. Volume goals were met or exceeded for most categories. We continue to see a trend where back and neck surgical procedures being performed on an outpatient basis are increasing while higher acuity procedures are being performed on an inpatient basis. We continue to experience strong demand for services. Our center offers a full multi-disciplinary approach to treating spine conditions. Pain injection procedure interventions are viable treatment options for many patients experiencing back and neck pain. We continue to see significant demand for these services. Typically injections are performed without conscious sedation and provide great pain relief.