Physician mental effort, procedure intensity, and psychological stress comparisons.
| CPT Description (Code) | Endoscopy Is EASIER to Learn | Endoscopy Is HARDER to Learn | Endoscopy Has an EQUAL Learning Curve | I Do Not Perform This Comparative Procedure |
| Laminectomy and Spinal Cord Decompression, Lumbar (63047) | 48.8% (62 responses) | 40.9% (52 responses) | 7.9% (10 responses) | 2.4% (3 responses) |
| Partial excision of posterior vertebral component (eg, spinous process, lamina, or facet) for intrinsic bony lesion, single vertebral segment; lumbar (22102) | 44.9% (57 responses) | 43.3% (55 responses) | 8.7% (11 responses) | 3.1% (4 responses) |
| Laminotomy (hemilaminectomy), with decompression of nerve root(s), including partial facetectomy, foraminotomy and/or excision of herniated intervertebral disc; 1 interspace, lumbar (63030) | 51.2% (65 responses) | 42.5% (54 responses) | 4.7% (6 responses) | 1.6% (2 responses) |
| Laminectomy with exploration and/or decompression of spinal cord and/or cauda equina, without facetectomy, foraminotomy or discectomy (eg, spinal stenosis), 1 or 2 vertebral segments; lumbar, except for spondylolisthesis (63005) | 50.4% (64 responses) | 41.7% (53 responses) | 6.3% (8 responses) | 1.6% (2 responses) |
| Stereotactic radiosurgery (particle beam, gamma ray, or linear accelerator); 1 spinal lesion (63620) | 25.2% (32 responses) | 29.9% (38 responses) | 4.7% (6 responses) | 40.2% (51 responses) |
| Insertion of interlaminar/interspinous process stabilization/distraction device, without open decompression or fusion, including image guidance when performed, lumbar; single level (22869) | 26.8% (34 responses) | 33.9% (43 responses) | 8.7% (11 responses) | 30.7% (39 responses) |
| Arthrodesis, posterior interbody technique, including laminectomy and/or discectomy to prepare interspace (other than for decompression), single interspace; lumbar (22630) | 43.3% (55 responses) | 37.8% (48 responses) | 11% (14 responses) | 7.9% (10 responses) |
| Arthrodesis, posterior or posterolateral technique, single level; lumbar (with lateral transverse technique, when performed) (22612) | 37.8% (48 responses) | 41.7% (53 responses) | 11.8% (15 responses) | 8.7% (11 responses) |
| Arthrodesis, lateral extracavitary technique, including minimal discectomy to prepare interspace (other than for decompression); thoracic (22532) | 39.4% (50 responses) | 35.4% (45 responses) | 7.9% (10 responses) | 17.3% (22 responses) |
| Arthrodesis, lateral extracavitary technique, including minimal discectomy to prepare interspace (other than for decompression); lumbar (22533) | 42.5% (54 responses) | 33.9% (43 responses) | 7.1% (9 responses) | 16.5% (21 responses) |
| Arthrodesis, combined posterior, or posterolateral technique with posterior interbody technique including laminectomy and/or discectomy sufficient to prepare interspace (other than for decompression), single interspace and segment; lumbar (22633) | 44.1% (56 responses) | 35.4% (45 responses) | 10.2% (13 responses) | 10.2% 13 (responses) |
Abbreviation: CPT, Current Procedural Terminology.