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Revision surgery for proximal junctional failure can be costly
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MINNEAPOLIS — Revision surgery for proximal junctional failure after fusion may cost an average of $60,000 per case, according to a speaker here.
Revision surgery for proximal junctional failure for adult spinal deformity cost a major tertiary center more than $3 million in direct costs over a 10-year period, said Alexander Theologis, MD, at the Scoliosis Research Society Annual Meeting.
“The average direct costs of revisions for PJF averaged $55,000, which is significantly less than the average cost of index operations,” he said.
Alexander Theologis
The study included 382 adult patients with spinal deformity who underwent a thoracolumbar fusion. Of these patients, 51 had to be revised for proximal junctional failure, for a total of 57 revisions. The revisions cost $3.2 million in direct costs, he said.
With all of the costs associated with revision surgeries for adult spinal deformity in the study, it added 12.2% to the total cost of all the index surgeries to the 382 patients in the study, Theologis said. – by Robert Linnehan
Reference:
Theologis A, et al. Paper #53. Presented at: Scoliosis Research Society Annual Meeting; Sept. 30-Oct. 3, 2015; Minneapolis.
Disclosure: Theologis reports he receives other financial or material support from DePuy Spine and Stryker Spine.