The Discovery Problem: Why the Best Surgical Tech Isn't in Your OR

Ever seen an amazing surgical product and wonder why it's not available in your OR? Are there products available right now that could make operating easier and lead to better outcomes? Innovations like AR smart glasses to help you in surgery. How about a 6 mm expandable inner body device, or an irrigation fluid that has proven more effective than saline and antibiotics? Would you be interested in a wound patch that's adaptive and changes based on the wound's conditions? These things are all available today — so why can't we get our hands on them?

As a physician associate who's been working in spine surgery for the last decade, I think the implications of AR glasses for placing pedicle screws are profound. This, along with laminectomy, is one of the more difficult parts of doing spine surgery in general. Recent studies have shown 98% successful screw placement using AR glasses. Augmented reality glasses have also been used recently in a knee replacement surgery as well as other general surgery cases. I'd love to see hospitals and surgeons embrace devices like this sooner than later.

The gap between the latest surgical technology and what is actually available to most clinicians is a significant problem — and it's growing. The pace of innovation increases while the pace of adoption stagnates. There are a lot of reasons why this is the case, but one of the biggest is a discovery problem.

Large specialty conferences do a great job of highlighting new equipment, but the budgets required for vendors are enormous. Only the biggest companies can afford to show their wares. Newer startups are nowhere to be seen. Rather than seeing a reflection of the best innovations, we see a reflection of the best marketing budgets.

Device reps are a huge part of the discovery team. Not only do they help surgeons in hospitals discover new equipment, but we've all been there in cases where a good rep can help a case run smoothly and adds tremendous value. Discovery through them, while important, can be gated by territory, relationships, and time. If a product company doesn't have someone covering your area, it effectively doesn't exist.

That is why Michelle and I built The Operative Summit. A place of discovery for the entire peri-operative community. A place where surgeons and OR techs can learn about new innovations and devices together — where all the stakeholders, from the surgical circulator to the surgical first assist, learn about new innovations together. We can all discover better products, learn better techniques, and drive better outcomes.

Welcome to The Operative Brief. See you at the Operative Summit.

Pharaoh Sargent, PA-C
Co-Founder, Operative Summit