Outpatient spine is growing. Here’s how surgeons are preparing

Becker's Healthcare December 10, 2025
Carly Behm

Outpatient spine surgery is accelerating, and physicians are planning for what the landscape will look like by 2030.

Here’s how five spine surgeons are approaching the outpatient boom.

Editor’s note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity.

Question: How will your approach to outpatient spine surgery change in the next five years?

Steven Girdler, MD. DISC Sports & Spine Center (Newport Beach and Marina del Rey, Calif.): Over the next five years, I expect a large portion of spinal care to continue shifting from inpatient hospitals to ambulatory surgery centers as more procedures become safely and efficiently performed in the outpatient setting. Advances in minimally invasive techniques, anesthesia, and enhanced recovery protocols will expand the types of surgeries appropriate for ASCs,...

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