It's a new story but an old story too: For-profit spine surgery centers recruit patients with promises of relieving their long-standing back pain with tiny cuts and high-tech lasers. Then comes a string of malpractice lawsuits from patients crippled by the surgery. Then the journalists mount the evidence: Big profits, many operations, little scrutiny from state or federal health regulators, and no evidence the high-tech stuff even works.
Bloomberg News just published this expose of malpractice issues at the Laser Spine Institute, which has surgery centers in Philadelphia, Tampa, Scottsdale and Oklahoma City.
Please see full publication below for more information.