Rapid Repeated Recurrent Lumbar Disc Herniation after Microscopic Discectomies

The recurrence of lumbar disc herniation after single-level discectomy is a well-known complication. Pain and neurological symptoms during the first week after surgery can be caused by missed pathology or early recurrent disc herniation. However, recurrent disc herniation that causes segmental instability after repeat operation is rare. Here, we report a case of a 42-year-old woman having a rare complication of rapid recurrent lumbar disc herniation after 2 microscopic discectomies within a short period. We suggest that rapid disc fragmentation and rapid growth of annular defect caused rapid repeated recurrence of lumbar disc herniation and segmental instability. Further investigation will be needed to identify the cause of this rapid disc degeneration.

An Empirical Analysis of Price Elasticity of the Demand for Medical Care Services in Korean National Health Insurance Program / 예방의학회지

This paper tested by using Micro TSP, an empirical econometric analysis to approve officially a hypothesis of price elasticity of the demand for medical care services in Korean national medical insurance and the economic effect of health care delivery system with time-series datas of Medical Insurance statistical yearbook(1981-1993). The results suggest that the korean medical insurance system shows moral hazard due to the change of coinsurance and the economic effect according to intervention of the health care delivery system, but it is different by insurers regardless of the same structure of the medical insurance scheme.