T
he mar-
gins are
narrow
and the
need for
efficiency is para-
mount, but outpatient
spine, with its consid-
erable growth poten-
tial, can be a lucra-
tive service line for
surgery centers that
understand and
embrace the required
components.
One of the first challenges, say those who've succeeded, is getting
the word out — getting potential patients to understand that conser-
vative and minimally invasive approaches exist, and don't necessarily
require overnight stays. You need to "make patients and referring
physicians aware of the availability and advantages of minimally inva-
sive outpatient spinal surgery as an alternative to traditional hospital
based spinal surgical care," says Marion R. McMillan, MD, medical
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O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | J U N E 2 0 1 5
Success With Spine
Experts share what
it takes to flourish
in a specialized
service line.
Jim Burger | Associate Editor
z SPREAD THE WORD Marion R. McMillan, MD, founder of
the Synergy Spine Center, treats a patient with spinal stenosis.
"Making patients and physicians aware of minimally invasive
outpatient spinal surgery is one of the challenges."
Ludy
Brislane,
RN