{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,13]],"date-time":"2026-02-13T04:36:35Z","timestamp":1770957395651,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":21,"publisher":"Georg Thieme Verlag KG","issue":"04","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["J Reconstr Microsurg"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2024,5]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:p>\n          Background\u2003Data collected across many surgical specialties suggest that Medicare reimbursement for physicians consistently lags inflation. Studies are needed that describe reimbursement rates for lower extremity procedures. Our goal is to analyze the trends in Medicare reimbursement rates from 2010 to 2021 for both lower extremity amputation and salvage surgeries.<\/jats:p><jats:p>\n          Methods\u2003The Physician Fee Schedule Look-Up Tool of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services was assessed and Current Procedural Terminology codes for common lower extremity procedures were collected. Average reimbursement rates from 2010 to 2021 were analyzed and adjusted for inflation. The rates of work-, facility-, and malpractice-related relative value units (RVUs) were also collected.<\/jats:p><jats:p>\n          Results\u2003We found an overall increase in Medicare reimbursement of 4.73% over the study period for lower extremity surgery. However, after adjusting for inflation, the average reimbursement decreased by 13.19%. The adjusted relative difference was calculated to be (\u2212)18.31 and (\u2212)11.34% for lower extremity amputation and salvage procedures, respectively. We also found that physician work-related RVUs decreased by 0.27%, while facility-related and malpractice-related RVUs increased.<\/jats:p><jats:p>\n          Conclusion\u2003Reimbursement for lower extremity amputation and salvage procedures has steadily declined from 2010 to 2021 after adjusting for inflation, with amputation procedures being devaluated at a greater rate than lower extremity salvage procedures. With the recent marked inflation, knowledge of these trends is crucial for surgeons, hospitals, and health care policymakers to ensure appropriate physician reimbursement.<\/jats:p><jats:p>\n          Level of Evidence\u2003IV (cross-sectional study).<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1055\/a-2161-7947","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,30]],"date-time":"2023-08-30T00:50:05Z","timestamp":1693356605000},"page":"294-301","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Trends of Medicare Reimbursement Rates for Lower Extremity Procedures"],"prefix":"10.1055","volume":"40","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5047-9951","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Charalampos","family":"Siotos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Amir","family":"Aminzada","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Natalia","family":"Whitney","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Daniel","family":"Najafali","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois"},{"name":"Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"John A.","family":"Toms III","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Anastasios","family":"Mpontozis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, University of Athens, Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"George","family":"Kokosis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Deana S.","family":"Shenaq","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Gordon H.","family":"Derman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, 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