The Intelligent Surgery Blog

Spine surgeons across the United States are wondering how to manage their practice and caseloads amid lowered reimbursements. Even before the pandemic, the world of spine surgeries had been experiencing some seismic shifts, including:

1. Payment models evolving from the traditional fee-for-service, 
2. Growing patient demand for Minimally Invasive Surgeries (MIS), 
3. Rising expectations from patients for outpatient procedures that allow them to return to their daily lives faster. 

COVID-19 accelerated these trends.

Enhatch, a leading developer of software as a service (SaaS) for the medical device industry, is launching a new era in digital surgery: The Intelligent Surgery Ecosystem. Intelligent surgery will elevate patient care to new heights and redefine the industry.

Henry Ford is associated with intelligence, but not artificial intelligence (AI). After all, AI was born a year before his death. However, in his heyday, Ford went against popular opinion and introduced innovative ways to reduce employee burnout in his factories. This type of disruptive innovation is what AI can bring right now to help heal the U.S. healthcare system, including the field of Orthopedics. 

Blended learning began to trend even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtual learning tools enhanced in-person instruction by reinforcing concepts learned through a didactic teaching format. However, being a good surgeon requires learning by doing and watching experienced surgeons plan and troubleshoot real-world cases intra-operatively.

At AAOS 2021, Enhatch hosted an Innovation Theater discussion where CEO Peter Verrillo showed us how enabling technologies can limit rotation when practicing this widely-used technique. 

Medical device companies are under pressure to do more with less. 

The healthcare system is focused on patient-centricity, which means having to sustain a high quality of service. Additionally, market competition between device companies is fierce, there are more regulations than years prior, and reimbursements continue to drop. 

Medical device companies must meet customer expectations, continue to innovate and stay competitive while lowering costs. Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be the balm to ease some of the burdens on medical device manufacturers. 

With in-person events being canceled or postponed for a year, the Enhatch team is SO excited to be attending the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons Annual Meeting. This year’s conference will be in warm, and sunny California at the San Diego Convention Center. 

-     86% of surgeons reported an increase in preoperative workload before Total Joint Arthroplasty or TJA (2020 AAHKS surveys)

-     There is a huge need for faster, safer, and more accurate preoperative efficiency for elective orthopedic procedures

-     Intelligent AI-based preoperative planning solutions can ease the overall preoperative burden for surgeons and their staff

Prepping for surgery starts long before the surgeon scrubs up and walks into the operating room. For medical device companies, the logistics of planning for surgery involves inventory management, communication with the surgeon, and even tracking expenses. This person is responsible for all the instruments and implants in the operating room, and that is not a task to be taken lightly.

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