Trends and Costs of Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion: a Comparison of Inpatient And Outpatient Procedures.

Abstract

Outpatient discharge after ACDF is a viable treatment option with a reasonable safety profile and decreased costs relative to inpatient admission. Appropriate patient selection is key, and the standard of care nationally for the comorbid patient remains inpatient admission. The economic trends and epidemiologic data presented here should be useful for health policy decisions.