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CUTTING REMARKS
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"I've never seen that happen before!" There you are, in surgery trying the anchor for the first time, and it has more bells and whis-
tles than a Cadillac. Its polymer renders it biologically inert, but it has
the pullout strength of Poligrip. You finally get the implant inserted and,
whammo, it pulls apart, to which the salesman exclaims: "I've never
seen that happen before!" Ouch.
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"With the rebate, you're saving money." The new implant is 20%
more expensive than your old tried-and-true device. Yes, it does
have a couple of neat new features but, the salesman assures you, "with
the rebate, you won't be paying a cent more." Trouble is, the rebate
applies to products that I've never used nor intend to use, like the flimsy disposable cannulas that have the same ease of insertion as an
aneurysm clip. Other rebate gems include shaver blades that clog more
than my pores and electrothermal devices that have only 2 settings: off
and stun.
Most of our sales folks thankfully play by the rules, but our nurses
can smell the tall tales at a moment's notice. OSM
Dr. Kelly (johndkellyiv@aol.com) is an orthopedic surgeon/sports-shoulder
specialist who practices in Philadelphia, Pa.
N O V E M B E R 2012 | O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E
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