{"id":"1fb8af79-beed-434d-9f1a-308d7c3356cf","slug":"response-to-unnecessary-spinal-surgery","title":"Response to “Unnecessary spinal surgery”","authors":["Clark Watts"],"abstract":"Background: The phenomenon of excessive spine surgery has been highlighted as a significant issue, with concerns regarding the liberalization of surgical indications and the complexity of coding systems that influence surgical decision-making. This issue has been documented in both lay media and scientific literature, indicating a growing awareness of the problem. Methods: The author reflects on personal experiences and observations from board meetings of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) regarding the evolution of spinal surgery practices. The commentary discusses the increasing emphasis on spinal disorders and the promotion of spinal fusions as a treatment method. Results: The commentary notes a decline in the importance of history and physical examination in surgical decision-making, with an increased focus on imaging findings. The author expresses concern over the ambiguous guidelines regarding surgical indications, particularly the AANS standard that allows fusions for chronic back pain, which lacks clear definitions. Conclusion: There is a consensus that unnecessary spinal surgeries are being performed, driven by a belief among surgeons that pain can be alleviated through surgical intervention. This trend poses challenges for neurosurgical education and raises questions about the implications of increasing public scrutiny on surgical practices. Keywords: spinal surgery, surgical indications, neurosurgery, chronic back pain, surgical education, coding systems, unnecessary surgery","thumbnailUrl":null,"publishDate":"2011-07-30T00:00:00.000Z","doi":"10.4103/2152-7806.83392","categories":["Original Article"],"fullTextUrl":"https://surgicalneurologyint.com/api/articles/1fb8af79-beed-434d-9f1a-308d7c3356cf/pdf"}