by
Keith Loria, Reporter | June 13, 2009
This arthroscope's tip was
hit by a shaver during a
procedure and the tip was
particially shaved off.
(Image courtesy of Rigid Repair Center)
By The Numbers
When you look at a new arthroscopic system from an OEM such as Stryker or Olympus, you are dealing with prices in the tens of thousands of dollars. A camera can run upwards to $50,000 by itself, scopes average around $7,000, while sheaths average a little under $1,000. When you start comparing those prices to those of a refurbished system, you understand why business has been booming for most.
"They can save a lot of money on a refurbished unit and we can duplicate the functionality and can save a surgeon more than 70% on a lot of this," says Tipei. "One Stryker shaver can be $7,000 but we can refurbish it and bring it back to life and sell it for under $1,000."
Same holds true for the camera systems which can run from $20,000-$50,000. A refurbished camera can go on the market for anywhere from $1,000-$10,000.
Fixer Uppers
The popularity of arthroscopic procedures comes from a surgeon's ability to examine joints through small incisions and it is that sensitive, micro-technology that often leads to equipment damage.
Tipei offers up a laundry list of things that can go wrong with these delicate instruments as the miniature cameras, lenses, light source and the fiber optics inside the scope are all vulnerable. Things are dropped, bent, sliced by other instruments or they get dirty or simply are overused and are susceptible to normal wear and tear,
"With scopes going down very frequently-due to, for example, a doctor who doesn't maneuver a shaver or laser very well and cuts the tips off scopes or a facility where they don't have enough scopes in inventory and resort to overusing the scopes that they have, it's important to have everyone prepared," he says. "My technicians know how to search blind and repair to the component level."
Michael Lay, Principal of Chesterfield, Mo.-based Life Systems, Inc., also understands the importance of having experienced service people when fixing arthroscopic equipment to make his company stand out.
"For flexible scopes we have a senior technician with previous OEM experience. We have a head technician in rigid that was also previously with a major OEM. Our camera lead technician has 15 years camera repair experience with three major repair companies," Lay says. "This is delicate equipment and you need the best people if you are going to provide the best service."
