If you have a herniated disc that isn’t responding to conservative treatment, a back surgery procedure called a discectomy may be the best option. It's typical for health insurance coverage to absorb the bulk of the costs associated with a discectomy. However, if you don't have health insurance, it's helpful to have a general idea of what costs are typically involved with this procedure before you go ahead with it. According to Healthline.com, costs for this type of surgery range from $15,000 to $50,000, although other factors can apply when it comes to costs involved.
How the Procedure Is Performed
One of the main factors that influence discectomy cost is how the procedure is performed. The figure stated above is what's average for a microdiscectomy, which is a minimally invasive way to remove all or part of a spinal disc. In general, according to Costhelper.com, the costs for herniated disc surgery such as a microdiscectomy can range between $20,000 and $50,000. Typically, only the portion of disc material irritating a nearby nerve is removed with a discectomy. This often eliminates the need for a secondary procedure such as spinal fusion surgery. If this is how your procedure is performed, you'll only be paying for a single surgery, which keeps costs in check.
Costs Related to the Procedure
In addition to the surgery itself, there are often costs related to the procedure. One of these is how long you may need to stay in the hospital or surgical center. With microdiscectomy recovery, it's typical for patients to go home the same day or within 24 hours, which also minimizes related costs. Additional costs that can be related to a discectomy without insurance include expenses for medication to manage post-surgery discomfort. Physical therapy costs should also be considered, since it’s typically recommended for recovering discectomy patients.
Managing Discectomy Costs without Insurance
If you'll be having a microdiscectomy without insurance, talk to your doctor or surgeon to determine if you may be able to negotiate a lower rate. You may also be able to make arrangements for reasonable payments to make discectomy costs more manageable. What you don't want to do is avoid having a discectomy altogether if it's the best option for your situation.
Getting the Most Value from Your Surgery
If you end up absorbing all or most of the costs associated with a microdiscectomy, you'll appreciate getting the most value from this procedure. This is especially true in terms of the results you get as you recover and get back to the things that matter most to you. Ultimately, what constitutes a successful surgery is different for every patient. However, you can increase your odds of benefiting from a discectomy by taking the following steps post-surgery:
• Following your doctor's recovery recommendations
• Sticking to your physical therapy routine
• Pacing yourself as you step up your level of activity
• Making lifestyle adjustments with things like diet and exercise habits
• Improving your posture to avoid overstressing other parts of your spine
Discectomy surgery costs are different for each individual and depend on factors such as whether the patient has a large hole in the outer ring of the disc after surgery. If the hole in the disc is larger than a standard pencil eraser, the patient has a significant risk of experiencing a reherniation and potentially needing a second costly surgery. Patients with a large hole in the outer ring of the disc are more than twice as likely to experience reherniations after surgery. These reherniations often require additional surgery or even a larger spinal fusion operation, which, according to Modern Healthcare, may cost between $60,000 and $110,000. Barricaid is a bone-anchored device shown to reduce reherniations by closing the hole in the disc after a microdiscectomy, and 95 percent of Barricaid patients didn’t undergo a reoperation due to reherniation in a 2-year study timeframe. This treatment is done immediately following the discectomy—during the same operation—and doesn’t require any additional incisions or time in the hospital.
If you have any questions about the Barricaid treatment or how to get access to Barricaid, you may ask your doctor or contact us at 844-288-7474.
For full benefit/risk information, please visit: https://www.barricaid.com/instructions.