Here is a link to a story on ShareSleuth.com about Orthopedic Development Corporation, based in Clearwater, FL, that you may just want to investigate quickly on behalf of patients, surgeons and healthcare facilities.
Http://sharesleuth.com/06/post.html#more
I am shocked that I cannot find even one peer reviewed clinical study on their product TruFUSE. Many of these procedures are targeted for older patients covered by Medicare. The company does not have any substantial evidence the product works, but is touting that the surgeons and facilities using the product bill it under the posterior fusion codes of DRG 498 and CPT 22612. Here is the link to their website for the billing:
Http://www.trufuse.com/CostBenefit. Shtml
Also, if you will notice on the 'Home' page of their website (www.trufuse.com), it touts the product TruFUSE as 'Minimally Invasive Posterior Fusion'. However, in the chart on the same page it states, "TruFUSE offers a solution to individuals for whom medicine provides little relief but do not yet qualify for fusion surgery".
If the above statements do not raise some major concerns, then I don't know what will. This procedure has been billed as a posterior spine fusion on more than 600 patients and 30% to 40% of those are most likely covered by Medicare. Even the company states, once again, "TruFUSE offers a solution to individuals for whom medicine provides little relief but do not yet qualify for fusion surgery". However, it is being billed as a 'fusion' surgery.
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