Norton Healthcare has received certification as an Orthopaedic Center of Excellence, one of only 12 hospital systems in the country to receive the designation. Norton Healthcare’s Norton Orthopedic Institute and Norton Leatherman Spine received the designation from DNV Healthcare, a leading worldwide certification body committed to the development and continual improvement of health care quality…
The Congress of Neurological Surgeons Systematic Review and Evidence-Based Guidelines for Perioperative Spine: Preoperative Osteoporosis Assessment recently was published in Neurosurgery. To develop these recommendations, the authors performed systematic review of the literature using national databases for studies relevant to preoperative diagnostic studies that predict increased risk of osteoporosis-related postoperative complications and whether the preoperative…
New evidence-based guidelines covering five key perioperative spine assessments were issued recently by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The guidelines, published in the medical journal Neurosurgery, provide insight on the following: Preoperative osteoporosis assessment Preoperative nutritional assessment Preoperative pulmonary evaluation and optimization Preoperative opioid evaluation Preoperative surgical risk assessment A team of eight physicians from…
For individuals who have been unable to drive a vehicle due to neurological, orthopedic or other conditions, or for those who have experienced age-related changes in function, the loss of independence can be devastating. The Norton Hospital Driving Assessment Program, a service of Norton Neurosciences & Spine Rehabilitation Center, assists in returning individuals to safe,…
Inline revision of pedicle screws without increasing the screw diameter can be achieved using dual-pitch screws with cancellous pitch in the vertebral body and cortical pitch in the pedicle, according to a study published in The Spine Journal. “Dual-pitch screws may allow for inline revision of screws without upsizing screw diameter, minimizing the risk of…
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols have the potential to hasten recovery from lumbar fusion surgery for degenerative spine conditions, with reduced in-hospital opioid consumption and improved postoperative pain scores, according to a study published recently in Global Spine Journal. ERAS, which includes preoperative counseling, nutritional and medical optimization, standardized pain management and anesthesia, and…
Five years after complex adult spinal deformity surgery, patients reported durable improvement in a range of measurable outcomes, according to a recently published study. Patients reported improvements in lower-back pain functionality (Oswestry Disability Index), overall health (SF-36 physical and mental health scores), health-related quality of life (Scoliosis Research Society – 22R) and back and leg…
In-hospital consumption of opioids after elective spine surgery is driven chiefly by age, previous opioid use, smoking and the number of levels fused, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Spine Surgery. With as many as 38% of patients nationally still on opioids one year after elective spine surgery, the researchers sought…
Hall of Fame horse trainer D. Wayne Lukas endured pain and weakness in his leg, foot and hip, from lumbar spinal stenosis, for years before seeing Jeffrey L. Gum, M.D., orthopedic spine surgeon with Norton Leatherman Spine. Dr. Gum initially managed the trainer’s spine issues with injections. “He always had the next big race to…
A combination of telehealth and remote monitoring is allowing some patients to go home sooner after significant spinal surgery, according to the medical director of Norton Leatherman Spine. Norton Telehealth and “virtual hospital” innovations accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic so patients can get care while practicing social distancing. The shift prompted Steven D. Glassman, M.D.,…
Steven D. Glassman, M.D., orthopedic spine surgeon with at Norton Leatherman Spine, has authored the two most frequently cited articles on spinal deformity, according to a long-term analysis published in the journal Spine. The analysis listed the 100 top-cited articles on spinal deformities on record. Two articles by Dr. Glassman, each published in 2005, led…
The National Spine Health Foundation recently highlighted Steven D. Glassman, M.D., and Norton Leatherman Spine’s leadership in patient-based outcome measures in its “Ask the Expert” video series. “Historically, whether a patient did well with surgery was determined by, the doctor said you did well or said you didn’t do well,” Dr. Glassman said in the…