- Adult Spine General:
- Patient Guides
- News & FAQs
- Discussions
- Fractures
- Video
I had a disc removed from the L4-5 disc space. The bill came back saying they sent it to the lab. That was an extra charge. Is this really necessary? It's just disc material.
The question about routine lab testing of tissue specimens like disc material has been brought up many times. There are arguments on either side. On the one hand only one in 1,000 disc is likely to have anything wrong with it.
On the other hand, the simple $25.00 test could alert the doctor to a possible infection or cancer. In these cases finding serious problems early gave the patient a jump on treatment for an otherwise unknown problem.
Would that one person think a $25.00 charge was worth saving his or her life? Probably. Some doctors think it's worth the gamble. More research is needed to confirm these beliefs.
Martin Hasselblatt, MD, et al. Frequency of Unexpected and Important Histopathological Findings in Routine Intervertebral Disc Surgery. In Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine. January 2006. Vol. 4. No. 1. Pp. 20-23.
Disclaimer
The information on this website is not intended to replace the advice or care from a healthcare provider. The information on this website is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments, or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visiting with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your healthcare provider because of any information you obtain on this website. Discuss any activities presented in this website with your healthcare provider before engaging in the activity.
