Table 7.
Cost Variability for the Treatment of Spondylolisthesis Without Mechanical Back Pain (Scenario 6).
| Surgeon Characteristics | PLIF/TLIF (%) | Laminectomy With PLF (%) | Laminectomy With Foraminotomy (%) | No Surgery (%) | Average Cost per Surgeon | P Value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region | .451 | |||||
| Midwest | 49 (45) | 47 (43) | 10 (9) | 4 (4) | $20 984 | |
| Northeast | 28 (31) | 44 (48) | 14 (15) | 5 (5) | $19 876 | |
| Southeast | 36 (45) | 26 (33) | 16 (20) | 2 (3) | $19 788 | |
| Southwest | 17 (41) | 14 (34) | 8 (20) | 2 (5) | $19 336 | |
| West | 22 (38) | 23 (40) | 9 (16) | 4 (7) | $19 437 | |
| Specialty | .011 | |||||
| Neurological surgery | 42 (45) | 24 (26) | 22 (24) | 5 (5) | $18 617 | |
| Orthopedic surgery | 110 (38) | 130 (45) | 35 (12) | 12 (4) | $20 518 | |
| Fellowship training | .271 | |||||
| Yes | 126 (41) | 125 (41) | 41 (13) | 14 (5) | $20 228 | |
| No | 26 (35) | 29 (39) | 16 (22) | 3 (4) | $19 327 | |
| Practice type | .271 | |||||
| Academic | 33 (35) | 47 (51) | 10 (11) | 3 (3) | $20 972 | |
| Hybrid | 32 (45) | 24 (34) | 12 (17) | 3 (4) | $19 794 | |
| Private | 87 (40) | 83 (38) | 35 (16) | 11 (5) | $19 742 | |
| Surgeries per year | .326 | |||||
| 0-100 | 7 (18) | 19 (48) | 12 (30) | 2 (5) | $18 205 | |
| 101-150 | 20 (34) | 26 (45) | 8 (14) | 4 (7) | ||
| 151-200 | 30 (33) | 47 (51) | 8 (9) | 7 (8) | $19 711 | |
| 201-250 | 35 (56) | 20 (32) | 8 (13) | 0 (0) | $21 222 | |
| 251-300 | 30 (48) | 20 (32) | 10 (16) | 2 (3) | $20 091 | |
| >300 | 30 (46) | 22 (34) | 11 (17) | 2 (3) | $20 048 | |
| Practice length in years | .525 | |||||
| <5 | 21 (53) | 13 (33) | 6 (15) | 0 (0) | $20 953 | |
| 5-10 | 34 (55) | 18 (29) | 7 (11) | 3 (5) | $21 028 | |
| 10-15 | 28 (43) | 22 (34) | 12 (18) | 3 (5) | $19 518 | |
| 15-20 | 28 (42) | 26 (39) | 8 (12) | 5 (7) | $19 734 | |
| >20 | 41 (28) | 75 (51) | 24 (16) | 6 (4) | $20 096 | |
| Discogram use | .326 | |||||
| Never | 37 (37) | 42 (42) | 18 (18) | 4 (4) | $19 839 | |
| Rarely | 58 (41) | 57 (41) | 19 (14) | 6 (4) | $20 270 | |
| Sometimes | 33 (37) | 42 (47) | 11 (12) | 3 (3) | $20 703 | |
| Often | 24 (48) | 13 (26) | 9 (18) | 4 (8) | $18 719 |
Abbreviations: PLIF, posterior lumbar interbody fusion; TLIF, transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion; PLF, posterolateral fusion.
*Statistically significant at P < .01.