A Prospective Detailed Time Analysis Study of 18 Patients Undergoing Elective Single-Level Open Lumbar Microdiscectomy Spinal Surgery Compared with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Reimbursement Guidelines

•Total time commitment of an institution treating this condition was 12.56 hours.•A total of 2.98 hours was spent with the patient preoperatively in clinic.•A total of 1.69 hours was spent postoperatively with the patient.•Compared with CMS data, a significant discrepancy and underestimation was observed.