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2 Attendings scrubbed
#1
Chief here, starting my interview process for a job.  Recently went to a place where they claimed nearly all the spine cases were double scrubbed with a neurosurgeon and ortho spine surgeon working in tandem.  They called it a perfect collaboration because "the ortho docs will bring you more patients than you could ever see". Each doc basically works with a single ortho surgeon for all their spine cases, and they refer patients back and forth.  They all came from good training programs so I assume they could do this stuff themselves if they wanted, but doesn't seem like they do.

Sounded very fishy to me, just an easy way to double bill.  Is this commonplace in PP?  If so...how the hell has nobody caught on?
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#2
(08-20-2019, 11:05 PM)Guest Wrote: Chief here, starting my interview process for a job.  Recently went to a place where they claimed nearly all the spine cases were double scrubbed with a neurosurgeon and ortho spine surgeon working in tandem.  They called it a perfect collaboration because "the ortho docs will bring you more patients than you could ever see". Each doc basically works with a single ortho surgeon for all their spine cases, and they refer patients back and forth.  They all came from good training programs so I assume they could do this stuff themselves if they wanted, but doesn't seem like they do.

Sounded very fishy to me, just an easy way to double bill.  Is this commonplace in PP?  If so...how the hell has nobody caught on?

I heard ENT and neurosurgery were doing surgery together too. Sheesh who knew.
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#3
62 modifier...thought you were a chief resident....
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#4
Please enlighten us lurkers
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#5
(08-21-2019, 02:14 AM)Guest Wrote: 62 modifier...thought you were a chief resident....

Original poster here.

For those not in the know - the 62 modifier is what coders use when 2 attendings are needed to perform the same procedure on the same patient.  It's how a lot of these double scrubbed cases are justified.

But what I was ACTUALLY asking was - how often are they used in PP and how the hell do they justify it doing it so often?  It's got to be of interest to billers.  I'm asking because I don't want to join a sleazy as hell practice, so I want to know if it's commonly done.
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#6
It depends on the type of spine case they're talking about. ACDF? No it is not normal for 2 surgeons to scrub. MIS disc? Again, shouldn't be 2 surgeons.

Now, if there is a wider exposure to be done, multiple screws/rods to do, then there are plenty of studies that show the 2 attending approach can be validated. Also from an efficiency standpoint, having another co-surgeon to burn through the other side of the spine makes the surgery faster and presumably safer, less anesthesia time etc etc. So yes, that is common.

Many other PP surgeons that aren't spine surgeons help each other out. Look at other fields and you will see double scrubbing on bigger cases is normal. So I wouldn't say it is sleazy. Just depends on the case being done.
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