In addition to orthopedic power tools, manufacturers are now mak-
ing equipment like colonoscopes, arthroscopes and bronchoscopes
available as reusable options. Just as an orthopedic surgeon can
unpack a sealed, disposable drill to perform a knee replacement, a
gastroenterologist can discard a scope after a colonoscopy. We high-
light a few examples on the pages that follow.
The case for one-and-done disposable surgical instruments gains
more attention each year, as do concerns over the thoroughness of
sterile reprocessing. Unlike reusable tools that are reused on hundreds
of patients and reprocessed after each surgery, disposable tools are
supplied to your facility clean, pre-sterilized and in a single-use format.
Rather than replacing reusable instruments, single-use devices are
intended to relieve instrument backlogs, which are common in busy
reprocessing depart-
ments where it can be
physically impossible
to keep up with a day
of multiple cases
requiring the same
instruments. Being
able to count on
ready, safe equipment
every time could
become the game
changer in these facili-
ties.
As is the case in any
discussion of how to
stock a surgical facili-
ty, the primary con-
8 2 • 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 8
