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Diana Bradley, Staff Writer | March 19, 2012
From the March 2012 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
“In addition, low flow uses less anesthetic, thereby saving cost without compromising safety,” Cohen says.
In demand: Products, features and new technologies everyone’s talking about
On the used market side, some dealers are reporting that buyers now want newer models. Historically, 10- to 20-year-old Ohmeda Excel 110 Anesthesia Machines and Draeger Narkomed 2A and 2B anesthesia systems were in demand, according to Dhammam, a dealer. But today, GE’s Aestiva/5 and Aespire systems, and Draeger’s Fabius products, are probably the most popular anesthesia machines in the U.S., he adds.
“I attribute that to obsoletion of equipment,” says Dhammam. “Many hospitals switch to a different product every time a manufacturer decides to stop supporting equipment with parts, even if their equipment still has a lot of life left in it.”
Aside from reassurance that the technology they purchase will not become prematurely obsolete, hospitals prefer equipment that is compatible with other vital equipment and electronic medical records. Because of this trend, new equipment offers regular software updates and enhanced features via USB.
In addition, the patient population’s continuous trend towards sicker, older, younger or more morbidly obese patients undergoing surgical procedures is also having an effect on the anesthesia market.
“There is a greater need for advanced ventilation capabilities to support the ventilatory challenges of these patients,” Werfel says.
Ryan, who uses MAQUET’s Servo-i ICU ventilator, the company’s Kion-i anesthesia machine and the new Flow-i anesthesia machine, notes that the biggest trends include regional anesthesia, as well as implementing transthoracic echocardiography into the practice of the general anesthesiologist, video laryngoscopy, and continuous CO2 monitoring for all patients, including sedation cases. He believes that the market has a lot of room for improvement.
“I think that the market for anesthesia where we will potentially see quite a bit of advancement will be in the improvement and implementation of noninvasive cardiac output measurements as well as the continued development in the electronic charting programs for anesthesia providers,” Ryan says.
Ryan also believes China may flex its manufacturing muscle, flooding the market with products that may be “average to below average anesthesia machines and other products, but [nonetheless] appealing because of the difference in cost.”
The global anesthesia market will continue growing and demanding new solutions to address issues such as cost pressures, care quality focus and affordable, accessible solutions, according to Rossi.
