Synergy publishes bundled cash prices for every procedure we perform. Lumbar endoscopic microdiscectomy/laminotomy: $15,000. Cervical endoscopic: $16,000. Percutaneous discectomy: $6,000. COOLIEF knee: $3,000. Hip: $4,000. Shoulder: $3,000. All 2026 pricing. The bundle covers surgeon, anesthesia, facility, and routine follow-up.
Why per-procedure pricing matters
Most spine surgery is billed in a way that obscures the per-procedure cost. A hospital procedure generates separate bills from surgeon, anesthesia, facility, assistant surgeon, pathology, lab, imaging — often arriving over months, often with confusing line items. Patients rarely know the total until well after the procedure.Per-procedure bundled pricing fixes that. One number for the whole episode, known in advance. You agree to the price; you pay the price; no surprises. The structure works because we’re an independent specialty practice with established procedures — not a hospital system trying to allocate overhead across hundreds of service lines.
The published 2026 prices
Lumbar endoscopic microdiscectomy or laminotomy: $15,000. Cervical endoscopic procedure: $16,000. Percutaneous discectomy: $6,000. Facet rhizotomy and diagnostic blocks: priced according to specific indication, typically modest. COOLIEF cooled radiofrequency: knee $3,000, hip $4,000, shoulder $3,000. Cooled RF for other applications: priced per session.Each price represents the surgeon’s professional fee plus anesthesia plus facility plus routine follow-up. For complex cases — multiple levels, unusual anatomy, prior fusion — pricing is discussed individually before scheduling. The default bundle applies to standard cases.
What changes the price
Two things change the price upward: complexity (multiple levels, anatomical challenges, revision surgery after prior fusion) and the choice of procedure (cervical endoscopic procedures involve different complexity than lumbar). Two things never change the bundled price: time of year, day of week, or whether the patient is travel-friendly. The numbers are the numbers.Non-bundle items — pre-op labs if needed, pathology if applicable, any additional imaging — are billed separately by the relevant providers and are typically modest (under $500 total for most patients). The office reviews any expected non-bundle costs before scheduling so you have the full picture.
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.
How to compare across providers
Direct comparison is challenging because most providers don’t publish bundled prices the way we do. The CMS Hospital Price Transparency Rule is starting to expose hospital negotiated rates, but implementation has been uneven and the data is hard to navigate.The practical question to ask any provider: ‘What is my total expected out-of-pocket cost for this procedure, including all bills from all providers involved?’ Many will struggle to answer cleanly. Get the answer in writing — that’s a Good Faith Estimate, and you have a federal right to one for scheduled care.
Bottom line
Synergy publishes bundled cash prices for every procedure we perform. Lumbar endoscopic microdiscectomy/laminotomy: $15,000. Cervical endoscopic: $16,000. Percutaneous discectomy: $6,000. COOLIEF knee: $3,000. Hip: $4,000. Shoulder: $3,000. All 2026 pricing. The bundle covers surgeon, anesthesia, facility, and routine follow-up.
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 spine surgery cost by procedure, 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 spine surgery cost by procedure
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 spine surgery cost by procedure 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 endoscopic spine surgery cost 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 publish prices at all?
Because patients deserve to know what they’re agreeing to pay before they agree. The standard alternative — quoting a procedure without quoting a number — undermines the patient’s ability to make an informed decision. 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.
Are these prices firm?
For standard cases, yes. Complex cases — multiple levels, unusual anatomy, revision surgery — are discussed individually before scheduling. We don’t surprise-bill the bundle. 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.
What if my procedure ends up being different than planned?
Significant changes — for example, if additional levels are identified intraoperatively — are discussed in advance. Pricing for changes is established before the day of surgery. For broader context on how Synergy’s approach compares with traditional pricing, the endoscopic spine surgery cost page provides additional comparison.
How do these prices compare to hospital pricing?
Generally a fraction of hospital retail. The CMS transparency data show wide variation; for similar procedures, hospitals frequently charge $40,000 to $150,000+. 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.
Do I get all of this for the bundled price?
Surgeon, anesthesia, facility, routine post-op follow-up — yes. Non-bundle items (labs, pathology, additional imaging) are itemized separately and disclosed in advance. Detailed price information for the most relevant procedure is at the endoscopic discectomy page, where 2026 bundled rates are published openly.
Will my insurance pay any of this?
If you have insurance and want to use it, the procedure is billed to insurance separately from the cash bundle. The cash bundle is for patients paying out of pocket; insurance billing follows contracted rates. Detailed price information for the most relevant procedure is at the endoscopic discectomy page, where 2026 bundled rates are published openly.
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
- AHRQ — healthcare price comparison research. — source
- NASS — patient financial resources. — source
- CMS — Hospital Price Transparency — authoritative reference on spine surgery cost by procedure.
- FAIR Health Consumer — Medical Cost Lookup — authoritative reference on spine surgery cost by procedure.
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.