From a new spine surgery center to a growing chain of retail clinics, here are five key outpatient spine care developments in the past month:
1. Chukwuka Okafor, MD, is opening a spine ASC with two operating rooms in Florida later this year.
2. The first outpatient awake spinal fusion in Florida's Tampa Bay area was reportedly performed by Samuel Joseph, MD, of Joseph Spine Institute. Only a handful of spine surgeons in the U.S. have performed this technique.
3. West Orange, N.J.-based Advanced Spine and Outpatient Surgery logged its first robotic spinal fusion with the ExcelsiusGPS system.
4. Puyallup, Wash.-based Neospine installed the Mazor X Stealth Edition robot at its ASC.
5. The Back Space, a chain of retail spine care clinics, revealed the location of five of its 10 locations planned in Walmart stores. The practice is backed by Brentwood, Tenn.-based IMAC Holdings, which owns or manages 15 outpatient clinics focused on minimally invasive and regenerative orthopedic therapies.