Zimmer has applied to the Center for Medicare Services for a new add-on payment for the Dynesys. An add-on payment is meant to provide hospitals with an additional reimbursement for using "innovative" devices whose value is not yet determined or represented under the CMS, DRG system. In 2004, Dynesys was cleared as an adjunct to fusion, today, the company is seeking PMA approval as a non-fusion device. Professor Dvorak was quoted as saying that the integration of Abbott is coming to a close, but, Zimmer will see some revenue "dis-synergy" (duh, they must have taught that in law school) and disruption in their spine business.
On the other hand, Stryker's CFO Curt Hartman stated that US sales for spine were up 4%. In his most macho CFO manner he is quoted as saying that this is "clearly below our historical average in the market (hello Curt). Pricing pressures, product launch delays and gaps in product offerings? Curt (stick to finance) Hartman is quoted as saying; "Probably the biggest thing we're missing is a ........ great cervical plate offering." Was that a question, or, was he guessing, and is he serious? Just what the industry needs is another cervical plate offering. Steve, you don't mind that I call you Steve? You need to rein in Mr. Hartman. Don't worry, the analysts will give you a pass considering what just happened with the economy. One word of advice, if you decide to buy something, think about the integration process, based on the fiasco with the Howmedica acquisition we don't want to see Stryker has some revenue dis-synergy.
What a surprise, you have harsh words regarding Stryker Spine...seriously, try a new playobook this is really getting old.
ReplyDeleteHarsh? Are you kidding, Stryker people are pretty soft. That's what happens when you are run by a bunch of pedigrees.
ReplyDeleteAs was stated in a previous blog, name one thing that Stryker Spine has done that places your company heads above any of the competition? Dimso = Acquisition, SR90D = Acquisition, Distribution Rights to Theken = Part of Acquisition and Manelli screwed that up by not being able to come to terms with Randy Theken, Artificial Disc = Acquisition because you needed to come to terms with Errico, OP-1 = Acquisition, do we need to keep going on?
ReplyDeleteHate to say it but Styrker sux.
ReplyDeleteI meant Stryker sux
ReplyDeleteFrom what my squeeze knows, the great cervical product offering is a coming. Maybe this is just a marketing/sales ploy.
ReplyDeleteZimmer and Stryker (and Biomet) are becoming the dinosaurs of our industry. All the young aggresssive spine companies out there scrapping for share are mostly taking it out of these guy's backsides. It is survival of the fittest and these old lions just can't keep up with the pack anymore.
ReplyDeleteStryker has a terrible corporate culture reputation. Their reps are among the sleaziest in the spine world. It's amazing for a company that supposedly follows advamed so closely, constantly offers to take docs to las vegas for seminars(?)...Playing it clean on the surface, slimey as ever when no one is looking...
ReplyDeleteLast I checked Vegas has hotels and cadaver labs just like any other city. If you follow Advamed then you can't exactly comp a doc's poker game so what difference does it make if you're in Vegas or Fargo?
ReplyDeleteNice Musculo Man...I guess it's a sin to grow a business by acquisition? So a company isn't worth mentioning unless they develop thier technology from scratch? Pretty unrealistic expecation.
ReplyDeleteSo what is it with you and Stryker anyway? Did they reject your bid for a consulting gig back in the day or something?
No inspection, dejection, or rejection just an honest observation about a company that never has done anything innovative. Maybe a nice total joint company but outside of that is that all there is? Give me a lot of money and I will show you what I can do. Let's face it Dennis Stripe, Mike "Bulldog" Manelli, Tim Scanell (sic?) you've got to be yanking my chain.
ReplyDeleteFor their sake I hope they prove you wrong. I can't help but feel like it's do or die time in spine for the majority of the companies out there...even the "Spine Cartel."
ReplyDeleteStryker does have a crappy culture, but one based more in burnout, consistently elevated sales goals and Gallup-inspired lockstep. It's always been a hip and knee company.......and always will be.
ReplyDeleteWow, Musclo Man must be drunk from sucking on that Nuva tit. We will see how far you ride that pony with one trick buddy. I am guessing once that lil pony has to play fair and by the rules governing the major Spine players, Musclo will have already jumped off to another milk wagon.
ReplyDeleteI had a huge concern with Stryker medical in Greenville, SC because of there representative Christopher Grant. They have an individual who work's for them who has a violent record of abuse to women and is known to get drunk and violent in public. He is known to be a pathological liar and pretend's to be a good hearted person to certain key player's to win favoritism in the industry. He has a record that is online and has several different personality's that have picked up across many states! This concern's that this company that is so big would condone someone representing their product.
ReplyDeleteRookie/Anonymous,
ReplyDelete"that pony with one trick." Nuva a one trick pony?...that's funny!
"..once that lil pony has to play fair.."
What does Nuva do that is so unfair? Are Stryker's limited service agreements fair???
Thanks Musclo Man for the blog..
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ReplyDeleteRook: MM doesn't have to suck on NuVa's mammary since I do not work for them. I hold NuVa to the same standard as I do other companies. Unfortunately, what has Stryker developed organically in spine? NADA! You sound like all the l'il girls that work at Stryker. Keep whining and keep reading we love your commentary.
ReplyDeleteOnce Nuva turns a real profit they can come play with the big boys, until then they are eating at the kid's table.
ReplyDeleteAs for Stryker, they have developed a kick-ass MIS platform based around the Mantis percutaneous system which is by far the most versatile in the marketplace. The only system that comes remotely close to Mantis' capabilities is the new Viper II but close is
as far as it gets and Depuy's sales force isn't strong enough to ovecome its challenges...at least where I live they aren't.
MM what are you going to do if SYK buys NUVA? I can only imagine how conflicted you will be.
ReplyDeleteBelieve me, I don't lose sleep over the potential of Stryker buying NuVa. Besides, TSB has too much balance to lose sleep over anything that is out of my control. I would like to think that inevitably NuVa will surpass Stryker in Spine and the game will be on and if it happens, it happens. Que sera sera, whatever will be will be, the future's not ours to see, Que sera, sera.
ReplyDeleteMM, speaking of acquisitions...any predictions for the top players (revenue wise) in the near future. Given Danek's Kyphon debacle I can't imagine that organization can stomach anything major. Acromed is in need of new leadership, not new technology, Synthes's culture is too rigid (they are the best after all they can't possibly need to acquire), Stryker is CASH RICH but it sounds like management is clueless, and then you have Nuvasive who's debt level as it is can't possibly be any sort of advantage.
ReplyDeleteAny thoughts?
The potential always exists for a major acquisition especially with the companies that are cash rich, and we know whom they are. If I were any of these companies I would take a serious look at the deficiencies in my portfolio and whether there was existing technology that would compliment my portfolio, but not require a major integration taking my distribution model out of its sales cycle. in addition, I would want some truly emerging technology. Since there are some technologies out there that still haven't defined their respective markets, I would be willing to sit back and keep my hand on the pulse of their business models. I'll argue that until healthcare reform is clearly defined I would not react with any urgency. Public companies have become slaves to the street, while private companies have to realign their expectations and de-leverage themselves. I know this doesn't pin point any one company, but until this economy gets clarity in terms of stabilizing itself what's the rush?
ReplyDeleteStryker execs clueless? Seriously? That is what the analyst said 4 years ago, when Steve didn't leverage Stryker assets. Now that the economy is in the tank and the healthcare market is uncertain, he appears brilliant for doing so. As a result, they are in position to pull off another major acquisition.
ReplyDeleteFar to many of the above posts talk about home grown technology, and it is true that it is not Stryker's strength. What you fail to understand is that this is business. Steve's responsibility is to share holders, not in developing a cool product to wow some engineering geek. They will undoubtedly buy one of the up and comers, probably after their share price has fallen further, another brilliant financial move.
At which time, the technology nerds will whine about how Stryker didn't produced it themselves, and Steve will laugh his way to the bank, just as John Brown did before him.
Cheers mates!
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ReplyDeleteStryker has a ton of issue's as far as spinal representatives in the Northern Eastern Region. I saw the post that was posted about the certain representative in the upstate of S.C., Chris Grant in Greenville, SC. Not a surprise, at all! I had my lawyers research the company and this particular representative because of my surgeons in spine moving in the upper state of S.C. and mid N.C.I am not interested in condoning this company at all. How could I trust a company with spinal replacements when they condone someone who has a public record for violent behavior? I am severely disgusted in how a company as stryker would condone this type of medical representative. I am glad to look at another carrier such as Medtronics in that area for future replacements. Any other helpful blogs to help further my decisions in my move of surgeons to that area?
ReplyDeleteGuys, really, take a Zanax and chill out. Lets put team spirit aside and think like real business people. In weak and declining markets the smart ones stuff their accounts with cash and wait for the opportunities to present themselves. With so many under-capitalized companies with emerging technology out there the big guys are simply waiting for the market caps on these companies to tumble so they can acquire them at bargain prices. You shouldn't under-estimate the guys running Stryker Spine. They are aggressively hunting and talking to many companies. They are not interested in an acquisition that simply steals the headlines for a few days. They are looking for technology that will carry them through to the next level and two decades. They have a very solid core of products in their bag. Of all the bigger companies out there, these guys will be the most interesting to watch over the next three years. Four to six billion in cash in the bank, including a billion dollar loan designed to bolster the bank account with cheap money.
ReplyDeleteSeven out of ten spine companies have less than seven months of operating capital in the bank. I'm going to put my neck out there and predict a pretty interesting shopping spree for Steve and his "clueless" executives at Stryker Spine. Time will tell. Good thing these postings are marked anonymous. You risk insulting your potential future employer.
Regarding the posting one classy person made regarding a Stryker rep in Greenville, SC. That was sad. When I read it I immediately thought that it was posted by a bitter rep that has had his butt handed to him in a competitive market. I know it made you feel better to post garbage like that, but read your bitter dribble a couple times before you hit "post comment".
ReplyDeleteI have read a few of the post in regards to the certain spinal representative in the Greenville area. Is this information true and is it the same person on the police website on the other medical blog's? This is discerning because he is still actively not sentenced and could be guilty of these crimes. Besides the fact of it being a competitive issue his name is on banhim.com for people in the health industry.
ReplyDeleteI have searched the Greenville, Anderson, and Spartanburg market last year in the spinal division. I just recently went to a conference and the same medical representative is mentioned over and over again, due to his behavior and malpractice issues. Is this Chris individual still an active rep for Stryker? I see his record online and have heard from several staff in the hospitals that his reputations is extremely concerning.
ReplyDeleteHe is all over the list of concerning medical representatives. He represents spine which is even worse.
ReplyDeleteSale! Sale! Sale!
ReplyDeleteGross autopsy unremarkable. Stryker at the highest level was notified of potential product issues and did not respond. Instead Rhonda and Brown took CYA actions. The dirt is deep. A chemical engineer doing rocket fuel work replaced Lee. What happened to Lee? Hell Inc. needed for clean up tasks. Anyone interested?
Wow, I stumbled on this blog concerning Stryker Medical. However, I was specifically researching the exact same representative in their spinal division, CHRIS GRANT! This individual heavily concerns myself that he is allowed in the surgical areas>!?!?! What is going on and he try to claim that all these nurses were obsessed with him well to be exact only one nurse particular. He pry's on weak women to believe in his weak pathological stories as an outsider now really taking a step back researching his acts and my concerns as a candidate for spinal division. Chris Grant needs medical help immediately and any surgeon that still believes in his convincing innocence is surely mistaken. This is a malpractice and huge risk factor! Stay away from Chris Grant.
ReplyDeleteI am in shock! I just heard about the same sales rep. in Greenville, SC. I have heard nothing but bad thing's about him. I have heard from several individual's in the medical field that he is a pathological lair and has anger issues. I don't speculate that this is competitor rumors at this point after researching. Chris Grant's name does pull up on assault and battery charges in Greenville County. I also heard that he preys on younger women in the industry or just younger women in Greenville. I heard several names thrown around and really shocked if he has been associated with any of these women that were mentioned. At this point I am highly disgusted and disturbed.
ReplyDeleteTo TSB, I have a true account of just how sleezy and corrupt Stryker Spine operates (surgeon) in re clinical trials for their CerviCore Intervertrebral Disc. SS(pun intended)is now interviewing applicants to fill the position of Clinical Trial Manager.
ReplyDeleteCurrently I have been posting on a board called SpineTalk or http://spinesupport.org/simplemachinesforum/index.php under PAG. My complaints are too long to list here about unreported serious adverse events, cover up with the local IRB, and blatant violations of FDA protocol -- and the surgeon who implanted the CerviCore disc has a conflict of interest so huge, you could drive an 18 wheeler through it.
continued in a 2nd post
The real crux of my complaint was that I was 'used' as a guinea pig and the surgeon implanted the device without bothering to do a complete bilateral neural decompression on a neck that was preoperatively unnaturally straight. Needless to say, the implant failed, and I have severe issues with cervical-thoracic kyphosis and a range of motion cervical disc that was implanted without removing the stenosis on the right posterior side of my C5C6. I am in severe pain and the post operative condition may be irreversible. The real cruel joke is that this surgeon devoted a chapter to the Cervicore disc in a book titled: Motion Preservation Surgery of the Spine, Advanced Techniques and Controversies. Check out Chapter 28 - The CerviCore Cervical Intervertebral Disc Replacement.
ReplyDeleteThe SS brochure about the study states that my surgeon had deemed me to be eligible for the study before I signed the consent form -- this was Stryker's sleezy way of cutting costs and getting around doing the FDA tests for the inclusion exclusion criteria for eligiblity. Ergo, there are hundred of subjects in this study walking around with this disc in their neck and lord only knows if their surgeons did the inclusion exclusion protocol prior to their implantation surgery. I can only speak for myself, but I have been in pain management now for 2 1/2 years and SS is trying to have me sign a release that my post op severe adverse events were due to a pre existing condition and not because of the disc implanted without a thorough bilateral decompression. Not only did he disregard his own techniques for indications and contraindication when recruiting me for the study - giving me 48 hours to consent and absolutely no information about what I will go through if the surgery failed -- nor is the recurrent stenosis on the left side along with the stenosis on the right side that was never touched mentioned as a risk, but I was never told that I would end up with a condition called kyphotic deformity. Either the surgeon I speak of plagerized the information he contributed to the book or he intentionally set me up to fail so that he could further use me as a revision subject for the disc that he claimed to have had designed for Stryker to be "Surgeon Friendly". Not only am I in excruciating pain, but I now have a deformity to live with and revision surgery that may or may not work. It looks like I will be living on pain meds for the remainder of my life -- as yet, I have no idea how many other subjects in Stryker Spine's study were maimed or disabled as that information is confidential -- until discovery. As I mentioned - Stryker will only pay for the revision surgery if I sign off by stating it is not the disc that caused the recurrent stenosis and kyphotic deformity as well as multilevel facet joint degeneration and a host of other cervical issues -- like hypertrophy at C7/T1 -- but they are blaming me for the surgeon's medical malfeasance -- stating I had a preexisting issues that caused the failure. If that was the case, why was I selected for the study in the first place??? It is Orwellian double speak to the max. The real icing on this cake is that the surgeon who recruited me is also one of Stryker's chief research surgeons for the OP 1 putty fiasco. He did all of the power point presentations for Stryker on how to use the OP with Caltrux that Stryker Bioteck was recently indicted for mislabeling and fabricating clinical trial data and patients. Oh, did I mention that I was discharged from the hospital as having a Lumbar Laminectomy and Fusion instead of a Cervical Arthroplasty Total Disc Replacement. I can only wonder if FDA and DOJ have connected the dots yet. In the meantime, I live in chronic severe pain and have been declared totally disabled by Social Security.
ReplyDeleteMy final conclusion is this: The device industry is a machine -- it is the surgeons who run it. So, if the expert surgeons are the corrupt, incompetent and greedy facilitators then they are the ones who need to be criminally prosecuted -- and not protected by a deceptive consent form or global device manufacturing company that has financial and legal resources to get away with biomedical crimes against subjects or patients who trusted their surgeon NOT TO HARM THEM. Or if they did, at least have the integrity to admit their errors and do the right thing by the injured and disabled party.
If I spoke beyond the scope of this blog, please excuse me -- I am only trying to get the truth out about Stryker and their ruthless agenda for capturing the cervical plate market.
If anyone has a response please address it to: PAG
The SS brochure about the study states that my surgeon had deemed me to be eligible for the study before I signed the consent form -- this was Stryker's sleezy way of cutting costs and getting around doing the FDA tests for the inclusion exclusion criteria for eligiblity. Ergo, there are hundred of subjects in this study walking around with this disc in their neck and lord only knows if their surgeons did the inclusion exclusion protocol prior to their implantation surgery. I can only speak for myself, but I have been in pain management now for 2 1/2 years and SS is trying to have me sign a release that my post op severe adverse events were due to a pre existing condition and not because of the disc implanted without a thorough bilateral decompression. Not only did he disregard his own techniques for indications and contraindication when recruiting me for the study - giving me 48 hours to consent and absolutely no information about what I will go through if the surgery failed -- nor is the recurrent stenosis on the left side along with the stenosis on the right side that was never touched mentioned as a risk, but I was never told that I would end up with a condition called kyphotic deformity. Either the surgeon I speak of plagerized the information he contributed to the book or he intentionally set me up to fail so that he could further use me as a revision subject for the disc that he claimed to have had designed for Stryker to be "Surgeon Friendly". Not only am I in excruciating pain, but I now have a deformity to live with and revision surgery that may or may not work. It looks like I will be living on pain meds for the remainder of my life -- as yet, I have no idea how many other subjects in Stryker Spine's study were maimed or disabled as that information is confidential -- until discovery. As I mentioned - Stryker will only pay for the revision surgery if I sign off by stating it is not the disc that caused the recurrent stenosis and kyphotic deformity as well as multilevel facet joint degeneration and a host of other cervical issues -- like hypertrophy at C7/T1 -- but they are blaming me for the surgeon's medical malfeasance -- stating I had a preexisting issues that caused the failure. If that was the case, why was I selected for the study in the first place??? It is Orwellian double speak to the max. The real icing on this cake is that the surgeon who recruited me is also one of Stryker's chief research surgeons for the OP 1 putty fiasco. He did all of the power point presentations for Stryker on how to use the OP with Caltrux that Stryker Bioteck was recently indicted for mislabeling and fabricating clinical trial data and patients. Oh, did I mention that I was discharged from the hospital as having a Lumbar Laminectomy and Fusion instead of a Cervical Arthroplasty Total Disc Replacement. I can only wonder if FDA and DOJ have connected the dots yet. In the meantime, I live in chronic severe pain and have been declared totally disabled by Social Security.
ReplyDeleteMy final conclusion is this: The device industry is a machine -- it is the surgeons who run it. So, if the expert surgeons are the corrupt, incompetent and greedy facilitators then they are the ones who need to be criminally prosecuted -- and not protected by a deceptive consent form or global device manufacturing company that has financial and legal resources to get away with biomedical crimes against subjects or patients who trusted their surgeon NOT TO HARM THEM. Or if they did, at least have the integrity to admit their errors and do the right thing by the injured and disabled party.
If I spoke beyond the scope of this blog, please excuse me -- I am only trying to get the truth out about Stryker and their ruthless agenda for capturing the cervical plate market.
I heard that Google recently added first,last name searching capabilities and location specifics to research people.I was curious about this individual representative for Stryker. The specific person popped up in Google search, Chris Grant, mentioned previously in this specific blogger site. Is this factual in the sense he does actually work for Stryker medical? This company is not the greatest but indeed sales medical replacements. I hate to hear that this may be true and I hope for everyone's sake this guy is fired and gone. This sick guy had a chance to be around a great person I know and her family luckily found out quickly how insane he was and prevented her from being trapped in his sick psychological lies. However, I hope that he does not prey on women in the Grenville area still if he is still here. Luckily, I am a new doctor to Grenville and this blog site has confirmed a lot of concerns of mine and this guy will not be allowed anywhere in my practice.
ReplyDeletePAG - It has been a while, any update on your situation? BTW, since you can name names here, who was your surgeon?
ReplyDeleteA lot of hotels offer some affordable rooms and meals.
ReplyDeleteHostel Sao Paulo
I guess there is a huge decline in the demand of these devices because of the credibility of those manufacturers has been compromised due to several recall of defective products. And kugel mesh settlement is among those recall.
ReplyDeleteSomeone said in a previous post that Stryker is not innovative. That may have been true in the past for Spine. But that will be changing in the near future ;) . As for NSE, the 2Flute bur is taking over the neuro and otology market. Coupled with new releases in the Surgical stable, the innovative side of Stryker will soon cime to light !
ReplyDelete