Dr. Brian Vial, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Vial
Dr. Brian Vial is an orthopedic surgery specialist in Houston, TX, with 11 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Vial performed 1,463 Medicare services across 1,051 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Vial received a total of $10,416 from 15 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 88 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopedic surgery. Most payments are for meals and travel — low-value interactions common across virtually all practicing physicians. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Vial is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. This is not a quality rating. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗Top procedures by volume
Ranked by number of services performed for Medicare patients. Avg. submitted charge is what the provider billed; avg. Medicare payment is what CMS paid.
| Procedure | Volume | Avg. paid | Avg. submitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting between 20 and 29 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
304 | $67 | $233 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg | 155 | $6 | $15 |
| Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) A follow-up office visit for an existing patient lasting between 30 and 39 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
144 | $94 | $338 |
| X-ray of hand, minimum of 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the hand that captures at least three different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
140 | $29 | $113 |
| Wrist X-ray, minimum 3 views An imaging test using X-rays to capture at least three different angles of the wrist bones and joints. |
122 | $32 | $120 |
| Shoulder X-ray, 2+ views An X-ray imaging test of the shoulder joint using at least two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
94 | $27 | $104 |
| New patient office visit (45-59 min) An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 45 and 59 minutes. This code covers the total time spent by the physician or qualified healthcare professional on the date of the encounter. |
91 | $110 | $510 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
85 | $53 | $252 |
| Tendon or ligament injection A procedure involving the injection of medication into a tendon or ligament. |
69 | $41 | $189 |
| Methylprednisolone acetate injection, 20 mg A 20 mg injection of methylprednisolone acetate, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
62 | $5 | $20 |
| Elbow X-ray, minimum 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the elbow joint that captures at least three different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
39 | $25 | $96 |
| X-ray of finger, minimum of 2 views An X-ray imaging test of a finger using at least two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
33 | $28 | $110 |
| Methylprednisolone acetate injection, 80 mg An injection of 80 mg of methylprednisolone acetate, a corticosteroid medication. |
27 | $9 | $30 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, small joint Removal of fluid from a small joint or injection of medication into a small joint. |
22 | $43 | $187 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, medium joint Removal of fluid from a medium-sized joint or injection of medication into the joint space. |
21 | $41 | $194 |
| Hand nerve release or relocation A surgical procedure to release or reposition a nerve in the hand. |
20 | $253 | $1,377 |
| Elbow nerve release or relocation A surgical procedure to free or reposition a nerve in the elbow area. This is done to relieve pressure or irritation on the nerve. |
13 | $498 | $1,882 |
| Nonremovable forearm to hand splint application A healthcare provider applies a rigid splint that extends from the forearm to the hand to immobilize and support the area. |
11 | $47 | $200 |
| Adult fiberglass short arm splint supplies Materials for creating a fiberglass splint for an adult's short arm. |
11 | $11 | $35 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Payments by company (2024)
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Most payments (50%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
4.1 mi
Data Sources
| Provider Registry | ✓ NPPES | Weekly updates |
| Medicare Enrollment | ✓ PECOS | Monthly updates |
| Practice Data | ✓ Medicare Util. | Annual (CY lag) |
| Industry Payments | ✓ Open Payments | CY 2024 |
| Disciplinary History | — Not public | N/A |
This provider has data in 4 of 4 available federal datasets, with a Data Coverage level of Very High. This measures how much public data is available about a provider — not how good they are. How we calculate this →
Summary
Dr. Vial is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with mixed engagement industry engagement.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data. It describes data availability and patterns — not clinical quality. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
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All data on this page is sourced verbatim from public federal records published by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): NPPES ↗, Open Payments ↗, Medicare Provider Utilization ↗, and PECOS. Publication is mandated by the Physician Payments Sunshine Act (§6002 ACA, 42 U.S.C. §1320a-7h) and the Freedom of Information Act.
This page is not medical advice, an endorsement, a recommendation, or a quality rating. The Transparency Score measures data completeness — how much federal information exists for this provider — not clinical performance, patient outcomes, or quality of care. Always verify information directly with the provider and consult a licensed clinician before making medical decisions.
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