Conventional versus digital radiographs for intraoperative cervical spine-level localization: a prospective time and cost analysis

Abstract Background In today's health-care environment, operational efficiency is intrinsic to balancing the need for increased productivity driven by rising costs and potentially decreasing reimbursement. Other operational factors kept constant, decreasing the time for a procedure can be viewe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The spine journal 2009-12, Vol.9 (12), p.967-971
Main Authors: Steinmetz, Michael P., MD, Mroz, Thomas E., MD, Krishnaney, Ajit, MD, Modic, Michael, MD
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ACDF
Adult
Aged
Cervical
Cervical Vertebrae - diagnostic imaging
Cervical Vertebrae - surgery
Costs and Cost Analysis
Diskectomy - economics
Diskectomy - methods
Female
Fusion
Humans
Intraoperative Period
Localization radiograph
Male
Middle Aged
Orthopedics
Prospective Studies
Radiographic Image Enhancement - economics
Radiographic Image Enhancement - methods
Socioeconomics
Spinal Fusion - economics
Spinal Fusion - methods
Spine
Time and Motion Studies
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Summary:Abstract Background In today's health-care environment, operational efficiency is intrinsic to balancing the need for increased productivity driven by rising costs and potentially decreasing reimbursement. Other operational factors kept constant, decreasing the time for a procedure can be viewed as one marker for increased efficiency. Purpose To prospectively evaluate the time and operating room efficiency differences between the two methods for intraoperative level localization. Stydy design Prospective nonrandomized study. Patient sample Prospective consecutive patients undergoing a single-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) with plate and allograft. Outcomes measures Time for performance and interpretation of intraoperative localization radiograph. Methods This is a prospective nonrandomized study of patients treated consecutively with a single-level ACDF with allograft and plating. All the patients underwent a conventional approach to the cervical spine. After exposure, a spinal needle was placed in the exposed intervertebral disc and a radiography was performed. Either a conventional or a digital radiography was used in each case. Results Eighteen patients were enrolled in this study. Ten patients underwent localization with conventional radiography, whereas eight patients underwent localization with digital imaging. The mean time for conventional radiography was 823 seconds (standard deviation [SD], 159), and for digital, it was 100 seconds (SD, 34; p
ISSN:1529-9430
1878-1632
DOI:10.1016/j.spinee.2009.07.004