Robots and Reimbursement: The Cost War in AIS Surgery

Subscribe today to listen to this content Get Access

For years, posterior spinal fusion in idiopathic scoliosis has featured a familiar intraoperative showdown:

• Freehand (FH): Fast, familiar, and fellowship-tested
• Navigation (NAV): The GPS you didn’t know you needed
• Robotic-assisted navigation (RAN): The flashy new attending in the OR

Surgeons have largely settled the accuracy debate — NAV and RAN win. But payers? They’ve been stuck on one question: “Is it worth the money?”