On October 16, 2024, Dr. Luis Álvarez Galovich, president of the Spanish Spine Society and director of the Advanced Spine Institute, emphasized the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and multidisciplinary approaches in enhancing spine surgery. He stated that AI could help reduce unnecessary surgeries and improve patient satisfaction.
Recent studies revealed that 30% of patients with lower back pain were incorrectly referred to surgeons due to inadequate treatment optimization and misprescribed tests. This mismanagement leads to patient dissatisfaction and increases the burden on surgical services.
Dr. Álvarez Galovich noted that a multidisciplinary approach has previously shown to optimize surgical rates and reduce unnecessary consultations, allowing specialists to focus on patients who would benefit most from surgery. He believes this method aids in identifying high-risk patients and implementing specific protocols, thus lowering complication rates.
Despite technological advancements in the last 30 years, including navigation and robotics, the long-term success rates of spinal surgeries remain unchanged. Dr. Álvarez Galovich pointed out that one major issue is the segmentation of specialties and poor communication among specialists.
He argued that AI could significantly enhance treatment outcomes by analyzing diverse data sources for personalized treatment plans. However, establishing a systematic data collection policy is crucial, as it is not currently common practice.
The Advanced Spine Institute advocates for improving treatment outcomes through public education on avoiding sedentary lifestyles, creating multidisciplinary units, and implementing systematic data collection, all requiring minimal investment.