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Choose Chart Chart 1: Lumbar Fusion Procedures Chart 01A: Lumbar Fusion Procedures by SSA Chart 01B: Lumbar Disc Surgery w/o Fusion by SSA Chart 2: Lumbar Disc Surgery Chart 3: Back & Neck Procedures Chart 4: Total Knee Replacement Chart 5: Total Hip Replacement Chart 6: Hysterectomy Chart 7: Carotid Endarterectomy Chart 8: Adult Medical Conditions Chart 9: Cardiology Medicine Chart 10: Digestive Medicine Chart 11: Respiratory Medicine Chart 12: ACSC Discharges Chart 13: Mortality Rates 2001 Chart 14: Adverse Effects 2001 Chart 15: Wound Infections 2001 Chart 16: Pneumonia 2001 Chart 17: Urinary Infections 2001 Chart 18: Mechanical Complications 2001 Chart 19: Pulmonary Compromise 2001 Chart 20: OB Complications 2001 Chart 21: Mortality Rates 2002 Chart 22: Adverse Effects 2002 Chart 23: Wound Infections 2002 Chart 24: Pneumonia 2002 Chart 25: Urinary Infections 2002 Chart 26: Mechanical Complications 2002 Chart 27: Pulmonary Compromise 2002 Chart 28: OB Complications 2002 Chart 29: Medical Condiitons vs High Blood Pressure Chart 30: Medical Conditions vs High Cholesterol Chart 31: Medical Conditions vs Asthma Chart 32: Medical Conditions vs Diabetes Chart 33 Demo Quality Chart 34 Demo Variation

Spine Service Areas and Surgery Use Differences

To help understand the use of spine surgery in Maine we have used spine service areas.

Spine surgery is actually done in only a few hospitals in Maine by a few surgeons. The data is based on those people who live in these spine areas.

Looking at the data this way confirms that people who typically have their lower spine fused do so much more often in the area associated with the surgeons in Lewiston. (Chart 1A)

When we look at low back disc removal by spine service area (Chart 1B) we can see that people who typically go to Portland for removal of discs in the lower back have surgery more often that we would expect is a small but significant way. People who go to surgeons in Lewiston for disc removal in their lower back have the simple disc procedure less often than expected. This would suggest that they have the more complicated fusion surgery to attempt to solve the same problems.