The line between appropriate and inappropriate use isn’t always bright and clear cut. Medical practice (and billing) evolves with new technology and research.
Why Otolaryngologists Should Embrace Off-Label Drugs, Devices
Physicians must consider using equally effective, less expensive products to treat disorders, even if they haven’t earned U.S. FDA approval, said experts at the 2013 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Annual Meeting
Structural Support: Surgeons extol the cartilage stability provided by a new nasal implant
For patients who undergo septoplasty to repair a crooked septum, reconnecting pieces of cartilage and stabilizing the cartilage during the healing process is critical to achieving straight alignment of the nasal septum. Stabilizing cartilage is particularly challenging for patients who require correction of severe septal deviations or severe post-traumatic deformities that are often both functional and cosmetic.
Return on Recycling: Reprocessing single-use devices may lower costs, improve efficiency
The idea of reusing single-use devices may bring to mind the recent news of a Las Vegas urologist who was investigated in March for supposedly resuing single-use devices. As the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports, Dr. Michael Kaplan is accussed of reusing, but not not decontaminating, endocavity needle guides. While Dr. Kaplan’s specific case may be unique, the idea of reprocessing single-use devices is not.