Hari Kari is defined as a ritual suicide by disembowelment practiced by the Japanese Samurai. The Samurai is looked upon as a high ranking noble, if ever there were nobles that believe they have entitlement in the upper ranks of society, this may be the story. The October 26th headline news in Reuters presents an intriguing plot for readers as to an acquisition that smells afoul.. The cast for this drama includes Stryker (the seller), Olympus (the buyer), the Viscogliosi Brothers (the original buyers and advisors), a disgraced CEO (Kikukawa), a fired CEO (Woodford) and a Japanese company that may have been sold futures when it came to their acquisition of OP-1 by a business partner/advisor.
But before we go any further, one must ask the question, what is Olympus doing in making investments and acquisitions into ventures that are totally out of the realm of their business model and expertise? Portfolio diversification? Just for historical purposes, many years ago the Almighty Stryker acquired the licensing rights to BMP-7 from a company named Curis Biomolecules for $200 plus million. After years of dumping, that's dumping, not pumping capital into this black hole of a product, the best that they could get was an HDE (human device exemption) and a delicate ass whooping from the DOJ for some company related improprieties, advocating off-label use. So why do you think Stryker was selling you OP-1 for $60 million, regardless that the original price that the VBrothers were offering was $50 million? Could it be that Stryker was looking to get rid of the proverbial Albatross from around their neck, an obvious fitting metaphor, for a product that was sucking capital and placing them under scrutiny with the USDOJ? Could this deal have evolved into an age old act of protective agreements and political marriages in order to accumulate power eventually surpassing tradition, of course that being the traditional way of doing business in the Japanese culture? Were the Japanese involved in this deal following the bushido, the moral principles to live honorably?
The plot thickens when Reuters reports that the deal may have cost Olympus 50% more, thanks to payments made to its advisors, the V Brothers. The V Brothers and Olympus are bound by a confidentiality agreement, therefore, the basis for the story is centered around a $25 million dollar loan that Olympus made to the V Brothers that carries an eight year term, with a 7% interest rate, and would be collateralized by the Viscogliosis' interest in Small Bone Innovations (SBI), and Paradigm Spine (how diluted are those companies). But here is where the deal between both parties gets interesting, the V Brothers utilized the proceeds from the loan to pay back a $30 million debt facility (loan) from Fortress Investment Group of NYC., and under the terms of their agreement Olympus agreed to forgive $2 million of the loan every year, starting in January of 2012 which would leave a balance of $22.8 million and accrued interest if the product received certain approvals by 2015 or 2018. Yet, in August, Olympus Biotech expressed concerns about the value of the collateral (surprise), it has with the V Brothers, and former CEO Michael Woodford who challenged Olympus' acquisitions and was fired in a coup by the BOD, was told that Olympus would need to write off the loan.
Reuters reports that the FBI are investigating the massive advisory fee and Woodruff himself has called upon authorities in Japan and Britain to launch investigations of their own. TSB wants to know what our readers think, is this a House of Cards, or is this a House of Blues? As Robert Cray sang,
Coffee for my breakfast, shot of whiskey on the side
It's a dark and dreary morning, with the clouds covering up the sky
The forecast calls for pain, I can hear approaching thunder
I can feel the chills run up my spine, I've seen love freeze before
And I know I'm on borrowed time, the forecast calls for pain
Zimmer Spine with yet ANOTHER pathetic quarter of sales. Is this 12 quarters in a row of declining sales? Seriously whenis Warsaw going to get a clue? I guess they need to add a few more VPs of sales ... NICE move with operation Sun Devil!! F'n Genius! That's what you get when you retain Abbott morons (Crawford and Kirkpatrick killed California) and Stryker retreads (killed off the rest of the west coast).
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see their enormous booth at NASS full of innovative products and sales reps/managers looking for a job. Question: for how many Z Spine marketing folks will this be their first NASS meeting?
... when does Paradigm go public???
ReplyDeleteI guess this will destroy any plans of Olympus acquiring Purple Pork Master BBQ sauce.
ReplyDeletewhat ever happened to the top stryker spine guys that were sued when they went to zimmer spine?
ReplyDeleteOhayou
ReplyDeleteI've never been to a Japanese barbecue, should be interesting what's on the menu
Arigato Tony san
TSB, another card in the deck is Oliver Burckhardt nee blackstone/orthofix is the President of Olympus Biotech...
ReplyDeleteWait Wait Wait!
ReplyDeleteAnthony "Tony" Viscogliosi is an "orthopaedic visionary." Why would he expose himself this way?
sounds like a lot of transactions on wall street. dont get why its in the paper
ReplyDeleteOliver ........LOL another "visionary"
ReplyDeleteCould anyone go more in depth on whats going on @zimmer spine?
ReplyDeletetax investigation should drain the swamp.... :)
ReplyDeleteIn depth answer for Zimmer Spine.......nothing is going on in the company and the dead train is rapidly approaching south pole, courtesy of incompetent management and sycophancy! Just look at last 12 Q earnings...sad story!
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have any information on a spine and orthopedic network called NOC2 or Precedent Health? Also interested in any info on group out of Dallas/Fort Worth called " L2"??
ReplyDeletethx
Zimmer is taking over market share in Chicago for some reason.
ReplyDeleteI thought Hari Kari was the late great Cubs announcer - "Heyyyyyy someone get me a Budweiser" and the grandfather of that slutty singer Mariah Carey???
ReplyDeleteJust announced... The Sake and Cigar reception at NASS next week has been cancelled! Purple Pork Spare Ribs will be available on the exhibit floor however!
ReplyDeleteIs this the same Fortress Investment Group that provided a "Mofia Style" Loan to the now (may you rest in peace) closed Century City Doctor's Hospital in Century City California? If so, this would be a red flag of its own. No one looks into these people's past?
ReplyDelete6:50- The menu for NASS was just reviled:
ReplyDeleteYakatori Beef with Ginger
5 spice Sesami seared Ahi
Kobe Beef Brisket
Enjoy!! I heard John will be wearing a traditional Japanese cooking robe as he is the pit master. The Geishas will be dressed in purple.
For those that continue to drink the purple kool-aid, another impressive posting from Cheetah Nation:
ReplyDeleteOn a GAAP basis, the Company reported a net loss of $67.6 million, or $1.69 per share, for the third quarter 2011.
Another outstanding qtr. of losses, just what the investment community LOVES to hear.
My take on NUVA's Q3 results ... GAAP results adversely impacted by MDT outcome which led to a "loss".
ReplyDeleteMore interesting to me is the 10.5% growth over Q3 2010 but flat compared to Q2 2011. We all know the first 7 weeks of Q3 can be slow so I'm not too shocked by the flatline between Q2 and Q3. With sales growth still in double digits, barely, they continue to take market share in this slow to no growth spine market.
Also OFIX posted impressive spine hardware and biologics growth. When you add in Stims, they could be dangerous. However the relationship between those divisions seems to be fractured.
Zimmer Spine? I don't get it. Yet another marketshare losin quarter while Warsaw buys back $500M+ in stock. These guys are just taking up space.
@8:44 8 Million dollar Stryker rep left for Zimmer in Chicago... Must be him
ReplyDeleteCorporate Raiders looks like Graveline learned how to build a business from Mogul and Lipes, can you spell l-a-w-s-u-i-t?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteDear OI:
ReplyDeleteThere is no self proclaimed advertising on this site. TSB would be happy to sell you advertising, please e-mail us and we will send you a bill for advertising.
TSB isn't Ortho Intelligence associated with the V Brothers for some reason Stiegnman's name rings a bell.
ReplyDeleteHow long before Robin Young spins the Olympus/ Stryker story as "all a big mistake or a witch hunt"?
ReplyDeleteA House of cards that will hopefully topple soon.
ReplyDeleteThe FBI is involved because Woodruff (correctly) suspected that the Japanese were taking bribes to make this deal happen.
Michael Woodruff's appointment as Olympus' CEO a lens, microscope, camera, dictation machine company was to signal to the western world that Japanese companies are willing to take C-level executives from the world. In an interview, Woodruff mentioned that such unusual transactions had nearly 30% advisory fees attached - and they were part of payments to the Japanese underworld. When he questioned the practice, he was threatened, asked to take the bus home and sacked. Fearful for his life he returned home and approached Scotland Yard .
ReplyDeleteWasn't Tony's $5m New Jersey home burnt down recently? Looks like the insurance money still did not pay that Loan.
Mafia's globalization........
Was the Olympus-Stryker deal facilitated by the Japanese Underworld pressurizing one of the Olympus executives??? If Olympus truly wished to diversify why did they not buy Synthes or Stryker????.. guess the 30% advisory would be difficult to arrange
Crawford for zimmer rocks! He has been an asset for zimmer! He has the respect of his custmers around the west!! From abbot to zimmer! He works his ass off! Dont put him down he is a true professional! FTT
ReplyDeleteIf the FBI are meeting with the former Olympus CEO follow the money and don't wait, come in with subpoenas open the books this is your chance to clean this cesspool 8:52 you are wrong Robin won't write the story he will have his side kick Igor write it.
ReplyDeleteIt was a 1.39 million Manchester NH historic home, let's get the facts straight
ReplyDeleteCan Ollie save the day...have heard good things about him.
ReplyDeleteSo Im confused here...Did VB get away scott free with essentially their original loan being washed away? And who is being investigated, Olympus, Woodruff, or the VB's?
ReplyDeletewhat could the possible ramifications would there be?
hopefully someone can shed some light for me.
-just a stupid spine rep
Ollie is a good guy but he going to have his hands full with his new venture.
ReplyDeleteThis would be much easier to read if the first paragraph included proper background information, and the article wasn't filled with annoying metaphors and song lyrics.
ReplyDeleteThere was one metaphor, stop being childish
ReplyDeleteTSB, "The Forecast Calls for Pain". This is certainly an aptly titled blog for several scenarios unfolding in spine, namely Nuvasive today. After yet another quarter of disappointment for The Street coming from the mountainside in La Jolla, the stock is down around $15, a level not seen since this company went public in 05'. Lawsuit after lawsuit, key surgeons & sales people leaving in droves. Time for changes on the management team in this company? Is the run finally over?
ReplyDeleteArticle says loan was replaced. Must have been refinanced. What is the news here?
ReplyDeleteWhat about the VB boys not repaying any of the debt for the Centinel acquisition? The pending lawsuits include all of the comapanies (SBI, Paradigm and Centinel) as well as them personally. No wonder the value of the asset is questioned. It seems a VERY shaky house of cards which needs only a small breeze to topple.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the biz model of paying docs for "evaluations" isnt a good one.
ReplyDeleteDFine Big Fine
ReplyDeletehttp://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/26/olympus-stryker-idUSN1E79P1UI20111026
ReplyDeleteThe missing reporting. Would've been helpful to include a link in the original post.
Woodford, not Woodruff, btw.
ReplyDelete6:39..you must be joking! Top Syryker reps that went to Zimmer..please! Those guys could not sell their way out of a wet paper bag!
ReplyDelete"sell their way out of a wet paper bag"..... Geez, how witty r u?!.....meathead.
ReplyDeleteNo comment = we are lawyering up
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of PAIN has anyone seen nuva stock price today. congratulations to all the shareowners! keep holding on to those rsu's and options while alex, keith and pat keep selling theirs and mocking you!
ReplyDeleteNUVA below 15. Youch!
ReplyDeleteTSB 18.65 hell its down to 14.93 maybe you were correct, where is that guy that predicted nuvasive stock will go up 40% in early September, who will be Robin Young new friend if Alex is not the darling of Wall Street, do I hear exit strategy?
ReplyDeleteTaken from another Nuvasive board:
ReplyDelete"What do you do as a CEO when the company stock reaches a 7 year low? For Alex is was easy. Promote your cronies and give them all a raise! It's criminal what they are doing. Handed out raises despite everything. That's what happens when the CEO hand picks the BOD."
I think this comment is pretty spot on. Well, all of the Nuvasive "shareowners" must be excited,, lol
Once more, you opened the door
ReplyDeleteAnd you're here in my heart,
and my heart will go on and on.
From The Titanic.........
Alex is giving his boys new titles so they can all get stock options with a strike price at these new low stock prices. It is a con!
ReplyDeleteNo one with sound business judgement would be making a $25 million dollar loan and then writing off the loan, as Columbo would say, FOLLOW THE MONEY
ReplyDeleteWhat new titles for Nuva management are you referring to? When Pat Miles flies on a plane, as "President of the Americas", does that make the plane "Air Force One"?
ReplyDeleteFor all the Nuvasive loyalists who continue to say "Oh, but they just keep growing, blah, blah, blah", just take a look at this chart:
ReplyDeletehttp://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=NUVA+Basic+Chart
Absolutely pathetic for such a "high growth company".
It's all about making money boys & girls, and when you post a qtr. loss of $69M+, I don't think growth really matters?
I believe the forecast should have called for a bunch of dumb and retarded comments.
ReplyDeleteI've heard from multiple sources that occupy Chicago is boning to stage a protest at NASS. Something to do with corporations and healthcare costs? Anyone hear about this?
ReplyDeleteThe only group being boned are those who posess NuVa shares.
ReplyDeleteHave fun at NASS.
NASS-
ReplyDeleteNorth
American
Suck Up
Society
It must be SO exciting for the surgeons to walk the floor and see ANOTHER cervical plate and ANOTHER revolutionary pedicle screw system. Spine is dead! Get out while you can and find a happier, more ethical place.
I'm really looking forward to NASS, as I'm planning on attending the Nuvasive investor luncheon on Thurs. I'm going to ask Alex how he justifies in his own mind promoting people & offering bonuses, stock, etc, when his company continues to struggle, post poor numbers and disappoint the market.
ReplyDeleteGlad I left when I did.
Regards,
Kevin O'Boyle
How about you ask Alex how many administrative assisstants he now has. Or perhaps ask him how things are going in the Northeast under the current AVP who's been riding on Cappy's coat tail for the last 3 years. Oops - I guess his promotion was a bad decision. Nice job - JR.
ReplyDeleteHow about someone ask Alex if his new "President of Global Sales" actually knows what it's like to ride in the field? Rumor has is that his travel typically entails seeing a sporting event or show, or taking in a round of golf more than it does actually meeting w/ key customers when he DOES travel.
ReplyDeleteToo much back stabbing, bashing and name calling with these big companies which Is why I will stay with my small company homies as we continue to take market share from you BIG complainers...I mean companies (lol)!
ReplyDelete7:10..keep up with the new titles that Keith, Pat, and others have received. They were promoted to "Global...". They also receive stock options for the new titles. Get a clue..it's all part of the scam being perpetrated on NUVA stock holders. Go look at insider transactions over the last two years. As for Pat Miles flying on a plane as President of the Americas..no that does not make it Air Force One. Not even close!
ReplyDeleteNot only Nuvasive is going down, spine surgery as a whole is going down. After years of scamming everybody by performing surgeries with expensive implants on patients who don't need it, the insurance companies and DOJ are finally waking up. Bye bye Mr. Russki, bye bye slum dog millionaire.... Only the ethical companies will survive. No idea if there still is one out there though.
ReplyDeleteSo let me get this right.... the global news media reports that Oolympus Corp just might have gotten its tit in a ringer my paying off its "advisors" on M&A deals (to include the Visco Brothers in NYC) and the FBI, etc are all taking a deeper dive, and the best some of you can worry about is the new titles for some NUVA folks? Get Friggin' real....
ReplyDeleteCome on people... the sultans of spine/ PT Barnum (VB3) have some real shit coming down here potentially. Perfect timing for NASS too.
spine is not going down boys. you just never saw an economic recession.
ReplyDeletezimmer spine is all neutered. and their products are ten years old. dont think of them as zimmer as zimmer doesnt really care about spine. just a MN office wasting space and time.
ReplyDeleteSpine is fucked. All of ortho is fucked
ReplyDeletezimmer spine is hopeless but zimmer will never sell it. if i was in charge i would centralize it to warsaw and go from there.
ReplyDeleteIs muvasice releasing anything new at Nass?
ReplyDeleteZimmer is being run into the ground. Hips and knees going down and spine becoming meaningless. I also heard they are losing two key distributors.
ReplyDeleteIf the feds are willing to perform a proctological exam on VB who knows what they'll find, it should be interesting
ReplyDeleteI heard that Olympus is writing down the loan because they discovered that the 10 cases of BBQ sauce posted as collateral expire before the loan matures.
ReplyDeleteCan anyone confirm?
Nuvasive is non existent on the east coast.
ReplyDeleteAnyone hear about BC/BS decision to disallow and/or not approve anymore far lateral procedures a la xlif, llif, glif, dlif etc...? the surgery schedulers I work with say they are having no luck getting authorized for payment any of these procedures as BC/BS is now claiming they are "experimental"
ReplyDelete"If the feds are willing to perform a proctological exam on VB who knows what they'll find, it should be interesting"
ReplyDeleteYou're right, who knows what they would find. Long-petrified artifacts, once intended to be smuggled in during inmate visits, but lost in the labyrinth. Some tools of the rough trade as well... "There is evil there that does not sleep."
Nuvasive will run wild at NASS.
ReplyDeleteAlex is a finished. Wasting shareholder money, facing more competition than is able to overcome, and having an ego larger than life. This will end bad as he's a criminal
ReplyDeleteOlie Burkhardt will get the ship righted and moving in the right direction. He did it at OFIX & Aesculap Spine, he's a winner!
ReplyDeleteIt was the same pattern when AL was president of Danek years ago. All he did was spend money and talk about "culture". They were either smarter or more independent than the NUVA board...ousted him fairly quickly and installed somebody that took his fiduciary responsibilities to the company seriously.
ReplyDeleteWho LoGuidice the USSurgical trainer? ha ha thats funny. Ask anyone there. Even "Thanks a Million" was better
ReplyDeleteHeard a rumor today that Merrill Stromer, Gabe Heims ex international bio, Dr K xspine and Joe from xspine were starting a new bio company....
ReplyDeleteWhy the VB3 bashing all the time, these are self made men who have worked for all that they have. From all that i read it sounds like a bunch of elitists wannabees who found out after times got tough that there not really good at there job's. Take a back seat losers, pay attention, and watch how things get done, VIA VB3.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete@2:18 "Nuvasive will run wild at NASS"?
ReplyDeleteReally, how's that going to happen when Dr. Cappuccino is over at the Lanx booth teaching their lateral technique? Or when Dr. Dan Cohen is over teahcing at the Globus booth? It's ironic that Nate Quarry was their spokesman for awhile,, Did you happen to catch his last fight when he had his face caved in by Jorge Rivera in North Carolina? Yeah, sort of the same type of punishment that Nuvasive as a company has recently endured,,
Nuvasive is finished, wave goodbye as the ship has set sail. Time for Alex to hang em' up too.
Just love all of you Nuva bashing. Guess it hurts when Nuva reps take business from you.
ReplyDelete@8:11 similar to all the Nuva reps I compete against your wit is cunning and your personality is dynamic...
ReplyDeleteDear Nuva rep,
ReplyDeleteDo you not understand that when the core (Alex, Keith, Pat, Cheetah Hannon, Spangler) are rotten and worthless that you the skin are meaningless? This battle is lost from within the executive den, not on the battle field...
Cheetahs please mark this warning: Alex's management restructuring "to better align the company spend with its revenues" means execs and Alex albotrosses (Nuva east, GLOBAL execs, 5 assistants, sponsoring his kids elementary/middle schools, etc.) will stay and layoffs will occur. Sorry but Reduction In Force is going to be a term not heard in the Nuva offices since the Big 3 had Spine Arc and had to "borrow" some lateral technologies from Medtronic to keep them doors open.
Nuva internal. Enjoy Movember. Remember layoffs and firings occur only prior to Thanksgiving and after the New Year. If you make it threw the window, don't job search online as Big Lawyer Brothers, I mean HR are watching.
Nuva Reps: Sell big, Big Really BIG so the Cheetah Ball is OUTSTANDING for Alex and the ENRON, I mean NuVasive crew... How after all these years you still buy his BS means noone in the industry will hire you anymore because they know you are just plain silly. Good luck. Get your Slugger Bat!
Regards
Miz & R Truth. AWESOME TRUTH.
Dear Cheetah Nation,
ReplyDeleteWhile our stock price continues to struggle & we continue to take on one blow after another corporately I would like to remind you that my Broadway musical Memphis is now touring the nation!! Yes, that's right, the multi Tony Award winning show is coming to a city near you!!
So while I've driven your stock price & ESPP shares into the ground, please come and spend money to see my show. Yes, I know you might be scratching your head, but I DO believe that using corporate email is an appropriate way to promote Memphis the musical.
Memphis shareowners, didn't you enjoy seeing the musical when it opened in Memphis? Wasn't it great?
So, Cheetah Nation, despite our poor corporate financial performance, Memphis the musical is doing great! Feel free to contact my newest assistant who handles all ticket requests for the show for tickets in your area.
Please respond w/ an email to all let me know that "YOU'RE IN"!!
Regards,
Alex Lukianov
Chairman, CEO & "Memphis" Producer
Dear 10/27 @ 7:21
ReplyDeletePlease refrain from personal attacks, one can make fun of the matching purple ties (even Brian Williams wears them now) and question the way they do business, but name calling is out of the question especially when it comes to other people's lifestyles.
MM
2:30 Are you serious about Ollie turning it around at Olympus Biotech?? He was run our of OFIX and was stagnant at Aesculap. I am not sure how he continues to get these new gigs.
ReplyDeleteCheck this out. The V bros are going to get looked at.
ReplyDeletehttp://finance.yahoo.com/news/Olympus-unveils-panel-to-rb-1659651506.html;_ylt=AmdY0d478L56tbxfrJZfi9e7YWsA;_ylu=X3oDMTE1aGljMnBrBHBvcwM4BHNlYwN0b3BTdG9yaWVzBHNsawNvbHltcHVzdW52ZWk-?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=5&asset=&ccode=
Dear Lord, Abbett & Co. and Capital Research Global Investors,
ReplyDeleteAs the 2 biggest holders of NUVA stock, we little investors look to you for some help in moving our stock price. Please apply a little pressure to the management team to make the fundamental changes required to reverse the stock slide. Canceling stock options granted to executives within days or weeks of a self-inflicted price plummet would be a good start. That's the sort of thing that brings SEC investigations on our heads, and we really don't want that do we?
You should ask for an audit of the NUVA ball costs, too. You might squeeze an extra nickel a share GAAP out of it.
Thanks in advance for you help,
The little investors.
OFIX any good these days in spine?
ReplyDeleteOFIX?? Are you series?
ReplyDeleteYes just asking a question...not big in our area but they are looking for a group. What do u know?
ReplyDeleteMerrill Stromer who? What kind of company is Gabe involved in now?
ReplyDeleteNuvasive has been a house of cards with a bogus management team comprised of cronies and yes men field mgrs. The one thing Alex et all did well was the spin--and Mr. YOUNG made a few bucks as well by perpetuating the spin.
ReplyDeleteWhat other investigations has DOJ implemented with true scope of work contract?
Greed is pervasive and will somehow always prevail. Management teams like Nuva's should have been questioned long ago. Birds of a feather?
I want to know how companies like Life Spine can continue in light of clear financial ties to surgeons. Ofix as well. The DOJ still has work to d
I find it funny when a rube asks the question, "What is OFIX like these days"? If you have to ask that question please leave our industry as you are representing it poorly. You have just proven yourself worthless if you do not know your competition better than your own company. Damn this industry is going to crap fast.
ReplyDeleteOFIX is running at a high growth rate in Spine better then most of you other Rubes thas are on sinking ships! We have Cory Brenner running at a high rate selling Trinity PLUS, Plus, Plus knocking it out of the park daily! All you sucka's would love to have the solid line that we have and drive the growth the way its is meant to be done and not buy relationships daily like they do at NUVA! Boys you can suck on our tailpipe as we pass bye you!
ReplyDeleteOliver Burkhardt, lets take a look at his illustrious career, Aesculap Spine for six years, couldn't handle Dirk Kuyper, Blackstone/OFIX for less then a year, Scientex less then a year, Olympus Biotech a real loser going know where but to the the bottomm of the ocean. Sounds like a great leader, boy I can't wait to join that sinking ship!
ReplyDeleteOliver ist ein Gewinner!
DeleteOFIX is a joke. They need to stick with what they know best, bone growth stimulation. The spine unit has had some of the highest turnover in executive management ever seen in the industry. Burckhardt, Massson, Unger and Milanazzo in less then two years. Their commission plan is one of the worst in the industry and do not have any science on Trinity.
ReplyDeleteHere's what I saw at NASS: Some company (German I think)called Inotec or something like that (wasn't that the company name on that movie where the guy gets hypnotized and basically quits his job?) selling carbon fiber pedicle screws, rods, caps and cages. Only the cages are currently available in the U.S. These implants were light as a feather. Question is, does the patient benefit? I talked to some squirrely guy from SpineFrontier. He says they have a different company philosophy and don't like to deal with the distributors, but would rather just form a relationship with the doc. Yeah, no kidding. I bet you would. Then a saw A LOT of purple ties at the Nuva booth. I bought a sandwich at one end of the floor and walked all the way to the other side (where the only tables were located) and was not allowed into the table area because I was not an attendee. So let me get this straight, $550 for a badge and I can't sit down to eat my sandwich? I saw that Integra has ruined SeaSpine. So long to a great company there. I saw some cool expandable cages at Globus but have reservations about them. I saw a bunch of small companies with ISP plates but no big players had them (except MSD and Nuva I guess). I saw some incredibly hot female reps, a lot of rolex's, a gay guy, a very very long line for taxi's out of the place, two hot models on the Spine Smith machine (saw them A LOT), a silver girl with a headlight and hopefully a good lead on a new product to add to the portfolio. Worth the trip and the money spent? Hard to tell.
ReplyDeleteSpinefrontier builds relationships with doctors to ensure the improvement in design and use of all of their implants and tools. Their disc replacements hold over 30% more graft (depending on which cage) which expedites fusion. Their company philosophy is different because they focus on being innovative, not just mimicking the competition.
DeleteThanks TSB for a website like this to share thoughts and ideas. Good observations from 4:02. I must have followed him around because I basically saw the same things. I DID get to sit down in the area with the tables, though. You must have stopped by when they put out the free doc lunches. $600 for a badge doesn't get you a free lunch, buddy! What did everybody else see?
ReplyDeleteI saw a commodity trade show.
ReplyDeleteDoes anybody know of a manufacturer that is looking for an MIS surgeon to consult/trial/design a MIS system. Let me know.
ReplyDelete