option — convenience. The implant arrives at your facility in a box
designated for a specific patient. In the box is everything the surgeon
needs for the case: the implant, a choice of polys, disposable jigs and
sterilized instruments.
5 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6
Doctors at my hospital can
use any implant they want —
but there's a catch.
Administration sets a firm
price limit for all implants. If
the budget is $4,000, sur-
geons can use their desired
high-tech implant as long as
the vendor can offer it at or
below that price. If the vendor
can't match the budgeted amount, the surgeon must pick another device he finds suitable.
Surgeons are notoriously picky about what brand of implants they use. While most knee and
hip implants function the same and result in good patient outcomes, some small nuances in
manufacturers' designs lead to surgeons choosing one over another. The relationship the sur-
geon has with the service rep also often plays a big role in his decision. All of this can make your
job of stocking the devices a little tougher.
Of course, you can try to standardize implants. Another way to make stocking easier is to allo-
cate storage space to vendors. My facility gets all of our implant systems on consignment, so
the supplies are there when we need them, and the hospital is charged only when they are used
and replaced. This is great for a few different reasons: The vendors know that their products are
going to be used, and that they don't have to worry about stocking the right implant for each
patient every day. Surgeon benefits from knowing that their preferred brands are always avail-
able. — Paul A. Manner, MD, FRCSC
Give Your Surgeons Freedom of Choice
• HARDWARE STORE Budgeting and stocking protocols benefit surgeons, vendors and your bottom line.
ANY
IMPLANT
YOU
WANT
