Hospital Bars Surgeon From Operating Room

[Celebration]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704336504576259142044058726.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Providence Portland Medical Center revoked Vishal James Makker's surgical privileges last week following a March 29 article in The Wall Street Journal that identified Dr. Makker as having the highest rate of multiple spinal-fusion surgeries among 3,407 surgeons who performed the procedure on 20 or more Medicare patients in 2008 and 2009.

............snip.................

The latest developments came as new information emerged about the medical-device distributorship that supplies Dr. Makker with spinal implants. The distributor, Omega Solutions of Fresno, Calif., sometimes pays surgeons to use its products, according to a document reviewed by the Journal that Omega recently sent to surgeons it sought to recruit.

The document says that the company enters into partnerships with surgeons who agree to use its products and pays them "dividends" based on the number of surgeries they perform. Critics say such arrangements are controversial because they can skew medical decision-making.

The document details the cash payments made to one of Omega's partners, an unnamed spine surgeon in Los Angeles. From Jan. 1, 2009, to May 19, 2010, the surgeon received a total of $519,674.35 based on his use of Omega implants in two to three surgeries a week, the document says.

................snip...................

Critics say such deals have contributed to a jump in spine surgeries. Spinal fusion, which involves fusing together two or more vertebrae with the help of thousands of dollars of hardware, went from costing Medicare $343 million in 1997 to $2.24 billion in 2008 , according to a Journal analysis of Medicare claims data.

[drm604]

1. Why isn't this illegal?

:shrug:

[notesdev]

3. Because the whole medical industry works this way?

Ever seen the business end of a doctor's practice? It's a labyrinth of corruption, kickbacks, bribery, and other practices that are blatantly illegal in any other industry (except politics). And that's how the honest doctors operate... by law.

[drm604]

7. That doesn't answer the question.

It just emphasizes my point. When we talk about trying to reduce the costs of health care this has to be one of the issues discussed.

In any case, is it really truly the way it works? Is it really truly legal? If so, then why was this doctor banned from surgery? Obviously the hospital didn't approve of what he was doing or, at the very least, were afraid that they could be legally implicated if they allowed it to continue.

[LaurenG]

8. No way- your premise is ridiculous

All drug reps and durable med reps have to account for every dime they spend on a physicians practice, and it's on-line, publicly available information.
I happen to run a primary care physicians practice and they are on the bottom of the food chain as far as reimbursements from insurance companies and they don't get a dime for writing prescriptions for anything. If I wasn't so stunned by your blatant physician bashing I'd laugh hysterically.

I'd like to see proof of specific instances of this because it needs to be reported. Go ahead...I'll wait.

[Orrex]

10. Way to shill, you shameless shilling shill!

You've obviously been deployed by Big Pharma and Big Medico to spread disinformation among honest truth-seekers.

Shill!

[LaurenG]

11. just call me shiller, LaurenG_Shiller

:P

[ixion]

2. "$343 million in 1997 to $2.24 billion in 2008 " THIS is what is wrong with

our health 'care' system, and why I didn't consider what passed 'reform'.

[customerserviceguy]

4. The number of surgeries this doctor did doesn't bother me

In fact, people often seek out someone who's done the most operations of a specific type to do their surgery, the experience means something. What bothers me is the whole kickback scheme, even if only one doctor gets them for only one surgery. The whole system is rotten with bribes and inducements.

[Celebration]

5. if you read the article

you will find out that there were multiple operations on the same person, in many cases, plus a lot of malpractice lawsuits. But in some cases you are right that it isn't the number of surgeries alone that should be considered. Really there should be some rules about the marketing practices for these types of companies, and sanctions against doctors for accepting monetary compensation for using drugs or devices.

Edited to add: Hospitals should not have to wait for exposes from the Wall Street Journal before taking needed actions.

[reggie the dog]

6. when doctors prescribe you medecine they get a cut of the cost

of it in the form of a kickback, this is perfectly legal in the usa and would land you in prison in france

[Lisa0825]

9. I am curious why the "hardware" is necessary.

I had 2 vertebrae in my neck fused due to a neck injury when I was 10. They took bone chips from my hip and inserted them between my vertebrae, and that stimulated the fusion to occur. I wonder if it is due to age or what. Just curious.