The all-inclusive cash price for endoscopic lumbar microdiscectomy or laminotomy at Synergy is $15,000 (2026). Cervical endoscopic procedures are $16,000. Percutaneous discectomy is $6,000. The bundle covers surgeon, anesthesia, facility, and routine post-op follow-up. The $250 consultation is credited toward the procedure if scheduled.
What the bundled price is
At Synergy, an endoscopic lumbar microdiscectomy or laminotomy is priced at $15,000. A cervical endoscopic procedure is $16,000. A percutaneous discectomy is $6,000. These prices are current for 2026 and apply to cash-pay patients; pricing for insurance-billed patients depends on coverage specifics and is handled separately by the office.The number is published deliberately. Hospital-based equivalent procedures often run substantially more, and the patient frequently doesn’t see the final total until well after the fact. We think you should know what you’re agreeing to before you agree.
What's included
The bundle covers the surgeon’s professional fee, the anesthesia fee, the facility fee for the outpatient procedure, and routine post-operative follow-up visits with Dr. McMillan over the standard recovery window. There are no separate bills for these from us.Pre-procedure imaging that you bring with you (your existing MRI), the initial $250 consultation visit, and any post-operative physical therapy are handled separately. The $250 consultation fee is credited toward the procedure if you decide to proceed.
What's not included
Items not part of the bundle: laboratory work specifically required for your procedure (typically billed by the lab), any additional imaging ordered as part of evaluation, pathology if any tissue is sent for examination, and post-op physical therapy. These are usually modest line items but are worth knowing about. The office reviews any non-bundle costs with you before scheduling.If your insurance situation changes the picture — for example, you have a high-deductible plan where cash pay may actually be cheaper than your in-network out-of-pocket — the office can walk you through the comparison.
Send your MRI for a free review
Dr. McMillan reviews each scan personally. You get a candid answer about candidacy before any travel or scheduling.
What the consultation actually looks like
The initial visit with Dr. McMillan focuses on what your imaging actually shows and what your symptoms are telling us — independent of what you’ve been told previously. The $250 consultation fee covers his time to review your MRI personally and give you a candid evaluation. Most patients leave the visit with a clear answer: either you’re a candidate for the endoscopic approach (and we discuss what that would involve in your specific case), or you’re not (and we tell you why, and what we would suggest instead). No high-pressure scheduling, no surprise add-ons.
For patients traveling from outside the Upstate, the consultation can usually be coordinated with the procedure to minimize travel. A typical out-of-town pathway is: send your MRI for the free review, have a phone or video conversation with Dr. McMillan after his review, and travel for a single combined visit-and-procedure schedule when you decide to move forward. The office handles the logistics — lodging recommendations, transportation guidance, and post-op coordination with your local primary care physician.
If you have been told you need a fusion and you are not sure, or if you have been managing this with conservative care that has stopped working, the next step is the free MRI review. There is no obligation and no cost to send your scan. Dr. McMillan reviews each one personally. The response will tell you plainly whether the endoscopic approach fits your specific anatomy, or whether your situation calls for a different plan.
Why we publish this
Patients facing spine surgery deserve to be able to compare options on price as well as approach. The CMS Hospital Price Transparency Rule has nudged hospitals toward publishing prices, with mixed implementation. We publish ours plainly because the alternative — quoting a procedure without quoting a number — undermines the patient’s ability to make an informed decision.The number is the number. If your case is straightforward and the bundle applies, that’s what you pay.
Bottom line
The all-inclusive cash price for endoscopic lumbar microdiscectomy or laminotomy at Synergy is $15,000 (2026). Cervical endoscopic procedures are $16,000. Percutaneous discectomy is $6,000. The bundle covers surgeon, anesthesia, facility, and routine post-op follow-up. The $250 consultation is credited toward the procedure if scheduled.
If you’ve been told you need a fusion — or you’re trying to avoid one — a free MRI review is the most useful next step. Dr. McMillan reviews each scan personally and tells you candidly whether the endoscopic approach fits your specific anatomy.
For patients dealing with endoscopic spine surgery cost, the conversation comes down to specifics: what your imaging actually shows, what your symptoms are actually telling us, and which procedure (if any) genuinely matches that pattern. The candid answer is sometimes that you do not need surgery yet; the candid answer is sometimes that you do, but a smaller operation than the one you have been quoted. A second-opinion MRI review separates those cases and gives you the information you need to make the decision well.
How Synergy structures pricing — and why it matters for endoscopic spine surgery cost
The pricing model at Synergy Spine Center exists because the U.S. spine surgery market historically operates without it. A patient quoted “between $80,000 and $150,000” for a fusion by a hospital surgeon learns the actual number — surgeon, facility, anesthesia, implants, post-op — only after surgery, often via four or five separate invoices arriving over six months. Synergy publishes its 2026 procedural rates on the site at /spine-surgery-cost-transparent-pricing/ precisely so patients can plan financially before scheduling.
For patients researching endoscopic spine surgery cost specifically, the practical implication is that the price you see at the point of endoscopic discectomy consultation is the price you pay. Bundled cash pricing covers surgeon time, facility use, anesthesia, and routine post-operative follow-up. There are no separate invoices from the anesthesiologist, no facility fee added by a hospital, and no surprise billing from out-of-network providers because the practice does not contract with any out-of-network providers as part of routine procedures. For comparison context, the spine surgery cost by procedure page covers how this approach fits the broader pricing picture across spine surgery.
Financial planning begins with the free MRI review, which establishes candidacy before any financial commitment. Patients who are candidates receive a written assessment that includes the specific procedure recommended and the corresponding bundled price. Patients who are not candidates are told that directly, with referral guidance — the review is screening, not sales. Out-of-town patients should also review the 3-day plan and medical travel cost page to estimate total trip expenses. For broader background on healthcare price transparency policy, CMS — Hospital Price Transparency provides regulatory and consumer guidance.
Frequently asked
Why is the price so much lower than what I was quoted by a hospital?
Hospital-based facility fees, the use of general anesthesia and overnight stays, and billing fragmentation among different specialties typically push the total much higher. The endoscopic approach itself uses fewer resources, and the bundle structure prices the whole episode at once. Detailed price information for the most relevant procedure is at the endoscopic discectomy page, where 2026 bundled rates are published openly.
Is the price the same for everyone?
The bundled cash price applies to standard cases. Complex cases — multiple levels, unusual anatomy, prior fusion — may price differently, and that’s discussed before scheduling. For a personalized price quote tied to your specific diagnosis, submit your imaging through the free MRI review — you’ll receive the bundled price for the specific recommended procedure along with candidacy assessment.
Will my insurance cover it?
Many major insurers, including Medicare and BlueCross BlueShield, cover medically necessary spine procedures. The office handles insurance billing for covered patients separately from the cash-pay bundle. Detailed price information for the most relevant procedure is at the endoscopic discectomy page, where 2026 bundled rates are published openly.
What if I'm not a candidate after evaluation?
The $250 consultation fee covers Dr. McMillan’s time to review your imaging and history. If you’re not a candidate, you owe that fee but not anything beyond it. Honest evaluation comes first. Out-of-town patients should also review the 3-day plan and the medical travel cost page to estimate full trip cost beyond the procedural fee.
Can I use HSA or FSA?
Yes. Eligible spine surgery costs are HSA/FSA-qualified per IRS guidelines. The bundle structure makes it easier to apply HSA funds because the amount is known in advance. For a personalized price quote tied to your specific diagnosis, submit your imaging through the free MRI review — you’ll receive the bundled price for the specific recommended procedure along with candidacy assessment.
Is financing available?
Synergy works with third-party medical financing options for patients who need them. Specific arrangements are discussed during scheduling. Out-of-town patients should also review the 3-day plan and the medical travel cost page to estimate full trip cost beyond the procedural fee.
How this page was prepared
This page summarizes the clinical approach taken at Synergy Spine Center for the topic above. It is based on peer-reviewed literature, professional society guidelines (NASS, AAOS), federal patient education resources (NIH, AHRQ, CMS), and Dr. McMillan’s experience as Director of Spinal Medicine and Endoscopic Spinal Surgery. Outcome language is qualified. Individual results vary. Pricing where shown is current for 2026 and may change.
References
- CMS Hospital Price Transparency Final Rule. — source
- NASS — patient financial considerations. — source
- AHRQ — back pain cost reviews. — source
- CMS — Hospital Price Transparency — authoritative reference on endoscopic spine surgery cost.
- Healthcare.gov — Bundled Payment — authoritative reference on endoscopic spine surgery cost.
Synergy Spine Center publishes patient education content for general information only; it is not medical advice and does not establish a physician-patient relationship. For specific medical guidance, schedule a consultation. No identifiable patient information is included on this page.