TSB is not writing about the second book of the Torah and the Christian Bible, nor, is this about the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. No fellow spineophiles, word on the Street is that in the year 2010, Otto Preminger's major blockbuster movie may be life imitating art, where the departure of several key figures are or have left Kyphon Medtronic for Stryker Interventional. No fellow bloggers, this isn't a new company, it's a new division at the Fatherland. Unlike the movie where holocaust survivors sit on a cargo ship in anticipation of returning to the homeland, liberation in the modern world occurs at the speed of light. Does anyone believe that Kyphon/Medtronic would behave like the British and take legal action against some of these refugees? If there is any truth to these rumors, will the refugees stage a hunger strike?
The bigger question is, what is going on at Kyphon/Medtronic? Word is that they are mired in a leadership vacuum. If so, this does not bode well for KM sustaining marketshare with Kyphoplasty. Could Stryker be looking to establish and define their infrastructure and business distribution model prior to making an acquisition or launching a new Kypho/Vertebroplasty product? It seems possible, considering that they have been cementing people for many years. Is there any truth to this rumor, considering that the Almighty Stryker has been known as a corporate raider in addition to being called the Fox in the Henhouse when it comes to enticing employees from other companies. Just remember what TSB always says; Sometimes a man meets his destiny on the Road he took to avoid it. So in closing is there truth to the word that something is brewing on the good ship exodus, or, is this an isolated situation? TSB wants to know what our readers think?
Open your eyes and look in, Are you satisfied with the life you're livin'
We know where we're going, we know where we're from
We're leaving Babylon, We're going to our Fatherland
Exodus alright, movement of the People
"mired in a leadership vacuum" assumes they had "leadership" to begin with. Im not sure that existed there since Darth Recupero himself was pushed out many years ago. they've been runnin' on fumes ever since.
ReplyDeleteKyphon never could compete. And now they wallow in the vacuum of MDT with the constant din of a sucking sound ringing in their ears. Kyphon "leadership" now runs MDT sales? I can see the drain circling beneath me with ever increasing speed.
ReplyDeleteKyphon is just now having to compete with something other than conservative therapy and vertebroplasty. I think the whole sales force is shell shocked and the ones who aren't have headed for the hills of other startups. Interesting to see how Medtronic/Kyphon navigates the newly littered landscape of competition.
ReplyDeleteWe have just thrown 10`s of millions of $ over the last few years developing a VA system - let me tell you we are getting sh1t scared at the prospect of entering the market, never mind the developed players like Kyphon. I am sure there are plenty of companies that will hit the wall in the next few years as their truly "innovative" system is actually seen as just another commodity product. Interesting times ahead.
ReplyDeleteTrust me, Kyphon is just barley holding on. Keep the pressure on and they will begin to crumble. Losing market share their overpaid reps will continue to leap to maintain income levels diluting their sales force further.
ReplyDeleteI love it, a rep calling another "overpaid".... Idiot!!!
ReplyDeleteIt all depends on the way a prospective device is either PMA'd or 510K'd; and, moreover, how it is reimbursed.
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot of decent VCF devices out there, but they all reimburse at half the rate of Kypho. So far, the only competitor to break in is Arthrocare, and it remains to be seen how successful thier device will be.
How do you become an overpaid rep? Maybe by going out at selling....mmmm...., an interesting concept that.
ReplyDeleteTSB=monkey
ReplyDeleteTSB's favorite quote: "Its a blog, if you dont like it dont read it" I.e. only what I think and say are important. As long as you agree with me that is good. Anyone who disagrees with me has no voice here. I think I can become a dictator of a small country some day. My mentor is Chavez
ReplyDeleteIf you'll notice, you weren't censored, so the question that TSB must ask is, "how stupid do you sound?" To use my poetic license, you know what Forrest Gump said; "Stupid is, as stupid says."
ReplyDeleteDickhead 10:18:
ReplyDeleteHave you forgotten that it is a blog. No one charges you a subscription rate and their is no utilitarian purpose. Pull your head out of your ass, you may see the light of day
thanks TSB, aka Hugo, for not sensoring me, oh great one. Thanks also for clearly confirming my point by calling a critic of yours stupid, LOL. Sensitive and thinned skin arent you. Intersting you quote a fictitous character popularized by hollywood, Forest Gump. Hmmm, living in a fantasy comes to mind.
ReplyDelete2:48, aka TSB police/bodyguard, is BACK!!!!! That guy never misses an opportunity to flex.
ReplyDeleteI doubt I am thin skinned considering I never omit any criticism of me. I don't need other bloggers to defend me. But I must admit every once in awhile it's fun tweaking someone with the IQ of the little boy sitting on the fence in Deliverance, aka Lonnie. Don't spend too much time worrying about my blog you can go back to watching Glen Beck, you know the voice of the people. Next week I'll incorporate a black board to make you feel at home and draw circles on it, you'll feel right at home. Don't tire yourself out trying to think of something witty to write. Remember your left foot goes before the right and vice versa. Thanks for contributing to the post.
ReplyDeleteDickhead (aka 10:18, 3:57, 3:58):
ReplyDeleteYou think by being a troll, you will get everyone worked up. Aww, what's the matter with our wittle twoll? Not hitting our numbers and want to take it out on someone? Aww, how sad.
Go make yourself useful and create something, sell something, manage something or work on some more hair gel for Cameron Diaz' Mary.
Hey Mr. Sensorship (3:57) can you learn how to spell, my five year old son can spell censorship.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't be a big surprise. Medtronic and Kyphon focused on "co-promoting" for two years. MSD reps were told to introduce Kyphon reps to their surgeons. Now Kyphon reps all over the country are jumping ship to sell competitive spinal hardware because MSD never made them sign a specific hardware non-compete. Brilliant strategy. MSD is weak and beatable right now. A sad state for a once great company.
ReplyDeleteYou are spot on 8:31. Only problem is Kyphon reps are, for the most part, over their head on the metal side which was proven durig the years after the merger. Very little business was actually converted although there were wonderful internal stats showing different. "Lies, damn lies and Stats".
ReplyDelete8:31 In my personal experience it was the other way around. It was the Kyphon reps introducing the HW reps to our surgeons, who then converted little business. That has always been a great thing about Kyphoplasty my surgeons use various metal companies and I have spent years building solid relationships, and building their practice without interference from their metal guy because he didn't care I wasn't a threat. So now I have opportunities. Training will teach me the products, and I will quickly gain the knowledge needed. I already have the relationship and my surgeons has the comfort of knowing I'll be their when needed because we have the history.
ReplyDelete10:04..you are 100% correct. The "synergy" the MDT was hoping for from the Kyphon acquisition never materialized. The Kyphon/surgeon relationships are very strong since there was no competition and marketed the heck out their practice providing many fusion etc. Where MDT HW dropped the ball were introductions to surgeons not performing Kypho to do X-Stops...well HW reps had no interest in reducing the possibility of fusions cases and I don't blame them. As far as being over their heads..I found the same with HW reps not understanding X-Stop procedure..
ReplyDelete10:04 and 7:19 I agree 100%. We hired a former kyphon rep because he was the most intelligent overall, not in just the kypho/x-stop world either. He also had the best relationships that MDT failed to utilize. Also, I've been selling this stuff for over ten years, it's not rocket surgery. The good kyphon reps can sell hardware just as well as the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteFYI, doesn't matter in 3.5 years, we're all selling spatulas and car parts. Go Obama!
In regards to TSB's response on the 18th at 4:39pm:
ReplyDeleteAll I could think of was Tommy Boy when the deer is ripping through Richard's convertible:
"I swear I've seen a lot of stuff in my life, but that...was...awesome."
Agreed. It is the Kyphon reps with the relationships, too bad the egos of the Medtronic Hardware reps/managers got in the way of making the acquisition a success. Now, with the new leadership at Kyphon, all the talented reps are heading to start-ups (mostly run by former Kyphon people), or Stryker Interventional Spine. It won't be long until Stryker takes a big piece from Kyphon's pie.
ReplyDelete