The value of surgical navigation or image-guided surgery has long been proven, offering reduced revision surgeries, lessened complication rates, minimized radiation exposure, and improved outcomes. Surgical navigation has come into its own as a valuable approach to spinal, cranial, and ENT procedures.
Challenges remain, though, in the predictable and efficient use of this technology.
In today’s world, it’s not uncommon for surgeons or members of the operating team to report:
- We have to cancel today’s surgery and move our patient to another facility with all the right surgical navigation equipment,
- We’re having to reschedule the case because we’re experiencing a shortage of IGS-trained technologists,1
- We’re having to reschedule the case because our surgical navigation manufacturer doesn’t have a representative available in our area (or not already booked) to support this case, or
- We only utilize 75% of our IGS system features because we lack the training and expertise to leverage all its capabilities.
The result? Costly surgical delays, cancellations, and procedures that are not fully optimized.
A single canceled IGS spinal procedure for pedicle screw placement can result in revenue loss ranging from $22,690 to $50,964.2 Costs for delayed surgeries average $46.04/minute.3 Lack of full utilization of navigation systems has not been studied, but intuitively impacts case efficiency.
Rather than cancel or delay your next surgery due to staff or equipment shortages, consider implementing an Outsourced Surgical Services™ program (OSS).
While manufacturer staff availability may fall short when it comes to comprehensive support and around-the-clock availability, an OSS program can provide:
- 24/7 Availability – with a single phone call, expert case coverage is available round-the-clock, on weekends, holidays, and for emergency cases.
- Streamlined Communication – rather than multiple calls or texts to secure staff for last-minute cases, your OSS provider can be a single point of contact with depth of knowledge on the most popular surgical navigation systems. In many instances, the OSS provider is also able to bring in technology for your procedure when the equipment is not otherwise owned by your facility.
- Service Over Sales – logically, surgical navigation manufacturers and their personnel are focused on selling capital equipment and disposables. OSS providers are paid to optimize the services surrounding your image-guided surgical case. From set-up to tear down and send-off to sterile processing, providing a concierge-like service is the only goal.
With over 60 clinical specialists deployed throughout the U.S., expertise in surgical navigation systems from Medtronic, Brainlab, Stryker, NuVasive, and others, and experience covering over 50,000 cases for applications in cranial, spine, and ENT procedures, the team at META Dynamic Inc. is here to ensure your next surgical procedures run on time and as planned.
Learn more about META and its OSS program here.
Surgical Navigation. Optimized.™
Endnotes:
1 Muoio D. (2023, February 15). Workforce issues again top of mind for hospital CEOs in 2022: Survey. Fierce Healthcare.
2 Al-Khouja L., Shweikeh F., Pashman R. et al. (2015, June). Economics of image guidance and navigation in spine surgery. Surgical Neurology International, S323-6. (Note: Values from 2015 were brought current to 2024 using www.usinflationcalculator.com.)
3 Smith T.S., Evans J., Moriel K. et al. (2022, October 1). Cost of operating room time is $46.04 per minute. Journal of Orthopaedic Business, 2(4).