Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Lanx: Fear and Loathing in Broomfield

"Absolute Truth is a very rare and dangerous commodity in the context of journalism."

No fellow bloggers, Hunter Thompson, aka Gonzo has been long and gone, but his spirit still lives on, at least with The Spine Blogger.  It was reported on July 23rd, in the year of the Lord, that Lanx "No Thanx" has taken it on the chin as it lost its bid to toss out a breach of contract lawsuit filed against it by "faster than a speeding cheetah, able to leap tall buildings at a single bound, it's a bird, it's a plane, no it's Alex Lukianov and Nuvasive for "allegedly" raiding its sales force.  Raiding its salesforce?  Stealing its top Bagman? Je ne said quoi!

No sympathy for the devil, keep that in mind, buy the ticket and take the ride, and if it get occasionally heavier Lanx, than what you had in mind, chalk it up to forced conscious expansion, tune in, freak out and get beaten.........Round 1 Nuvasive by a TKO.....looks like another love TKO Lanx.  TSB wants to know what our readers think?  I'll have a double shot non fat Cappuccino.


74 comments:

  1. Lanx is a company to watch out for, they have some great products, FINALY some great leadership and the resources to back it up with an understanding of the spine market. Fulton is out of the way, Owens still can't find his mind and Denardine is still the same dumbshit that he always was at Medtronic.

    2012/13 will be the year of Lanx. They have an aggressive portfolio of products and getting some great distribution in place.

    MM not sure what you are taling about with the TKO but I doubt that Lanx is out and will come back even stronger.

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    Replies
    1. They make the same hardware store crap and the other me too companies make and market with the same nauseating sizzle

      The make and sell screws and brackets. So does True Value Hardware.

      Delete
    2. GREAT LEADERSHIP?! YOU HAVE TO BE OUT OF YOUR FU*()ING MIND. Firing your distributors that are growing by 100% to quota and firing the RSM of the year is far from good leadership. Cannibalizing the competitions sales force instead of growing from within is far from good leadership. Me too products at best.

      Delete
    3. Not sure about the great leadership.that you are talking about. Mike Fulton would be a welcome relief from "Don"Dan Gladney, & his Minnesota Mafia crew. With one exception, they are clueless, greedy carpetbaggers who have created a toxic environment at the company. With absolutely no respect for long term employees who have given everything they have to build the company, they travel in a private jet, or first class plane tickets, staying in lavish hotels while they try to sell the company to whomever they can. Padding sales numbers with stocking orders isn't going to do it. Only hope would be for Thramann to jump in & rescue it, but he is eiher too busy, indifferent, or out voted by the board, who clearly want a payoff soon, or just cut their losses. Too bad. Was once the best place I ever worked for.

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  2. Keep in mind Lanx picked up a few real losers from nuva - aka JG from detroit. Based on that alone this will go no where. Question remains when will the rest of the nuva NE mgt team defect to lanx.

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  3. While your post makes for an entertaining headline there is no significance to the news and it his zero impact.

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  4. The weasels are attacking the weasels. I love it!

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    Replies
    1. Jack...Jack Carnes? I would recognize that face anywhere.

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    2. Hahahaha.... Jack always seems to get roasted on this Blog. Love it. Leave the poor guy alone.

      Delete
  5. 4:18 It's the summer, what do you expect something earth shattering, go read OTW.

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  6. That's the trouble with pay for play. Someone will eventually come along and outbid you. It's funny to see these companies competing to out-sleaze one another. Whoever wins, they are both losers.

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  7. Isn't this the perfect example of the "pot calling the kettle black"?? Funny that Alex, et al filed such a suit. After all, have they not been guilty of the exact same type of behavior over time? I guess when you lose one of your biggest customers it actually does sting a little more than you care to admit and it causes you to act in a very hypocritical fashion.

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  8. Carnival barker, snake oil salesman, the Prooducer aka Lukianov. Protecting his turf, that's a joke. He was taught well by the clowns at SD. We want to know the details. How much was he paying him each month to be a clinical mouthpiece, free market enterprise? BS. It makes us all laugh. Who knows maybe his next step will be to use Yeltsin like tactics. LMAO, I'll take a Cappaccino.

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  9. High priced hookers and rich Johns are still hookers and Johns... I love Lukianov's defense of our industry from Obamacare, but he has built/defended his business in questionable fashion with 'consulting agreements' in my area. Use NUVA 1 time and you can teach it!

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  10. Wow, Lanx has so much innovative stuff like, ummmm, nevermind.

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  11. Replies
    1. haha! Lanx stanx and hires idiots and skanx

      Delete
  12. You know what's fun to do on Sunday's in the fall? Watch Buffalo Bills games and drink every time you spot Dr. Cappuccino in the sideline shot. What's even more fun is when you're at the game, you can watch Uncle Fester jockeying for position to get in the picture for that next sideline shot of Coach Gailey.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow, sounds as if you might be just a little bit envious?? Not to mention,, Why are you EVEN bothering to watch a Bills game,, they suck.

      Delete
  13. "Hunter Thompson, aka Gonzo has been long and gone, but his spirit still lives on, at least with The Spine Blogger." The Duke always signed his stories. Walter Eisner

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  14. Wally is that you signing your comment after posting anonymously? WTF even OTW reads TSB, as Wayne use to say, EXCELLENT!

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  15. Yes, that's me. I read everything.

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  16. For the record, it's not Wally, it is Mr.Eisner and say that with some reverence will you please.

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  17. Lanx is riding the bull into the bull fight. We all know how that ends.

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  18. You pinheads, Lanx actually gets it. They have plucked, arguably, NuVasive's two most talented surgeons, and I am sure more to come. It does no good to call a product line 'me too.' That simply means, that EVERYONE has essentially the same thing. Quit fooling yourself into thinking that your products give you an advantage. You are all so freaking brainwashed by your pathetic company cultures. It is ALL about the $, and the relationships with the reps. No question Lanx has made some poor personnel decisions in the past, but they are gaining business the right way in today's market. You all want it to be the way it used to be, or the way it should be. You are doomed, unless you realize how it is.

    I am so glad you turds in spine are all in my rearview mirror. I have never been around such a sleazy, narcissistic, 'roided out, overpaid, inbred, unethical bunch of ding-dongs...and that is just the docs. The reps are one tier beneath.

    Before any of you cock magnets reply saying "...you obviously couldn't make it in spine..." let me tell you that you are right. I would never lower myself to meet your standards. So, after you finish your tall glass of purple, blue or orange kool-aid, why don't you all go blow each other and slap each other on the ass. It is unbelievable what tools you guys are.

    Suck it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow for someone who is looking in the rearview mirror, you can't stay away... Still on Spineblogger? Pathetic!
      You sound like those professors teaching business, but failed in any attempts at actually being in the business world.

      Delete
  19. Hwy I didn't know Bill O/Reilly moonlighted in spine times must be tough over at Foxx. I love 11:35 he is a prime example of a grifter, but he never drank the koolaid whatta D**k Head.

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    Replies
    1. Typical illiterate spine rep...do you even know what a grifter is? I made the kool-aid you drink so enthusiastically, taint-licker. You are so predictable, and so disposable. Now get back to cutting and pasting your report from last week, into this weeks submittal. Your BOSS wants it now, and you will do as you are told.

      SUCK IT, moron.

      Delete
    2. So angry.....

      Delete
  20. Last! This blog is dead if we're kicking the Lanx dead horse... Aspen was cool 4 years ago, but just another JV company with paid-off surgeons. Yawn.

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  21. Aspen is archaic

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  22. 11:35pm
    Congrats on getting out. Tell us how you did it? What are you doing now?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I walked away, middle finger raised high. I am now chasing my dream...

      Suck it Spine Nation!

      Delete
    2. Nevermind, no one cares.

      Delete
  23. So people know John Nieradka is the Spine Blogger, he is the VP of Sales of Custom Spine which is a surgeon owned implant company whose primary sales are the surgeons from Sioux City Iowa that own it. John is not a managing partner of anything, kind of funny a competitor is bashing is competition and lying about who he is.

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    Replies
    1. wrong again!!!

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    2. JN's only drawback is that he didn't take the CEO's s**t at Custom aka Abdelgany and Anderson better known as the blind leading the blind.

      Delete
  24. Sorry for the record and in defense of Custom Spine, John was fired from there two years ago. Sorry to the folks at custom spine.

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    Replies
    1. I don't know if John is TSB what I do know is that I worked for him and he is a man of integrity who treated and protected his direct reports from the crazy man that runs Custom who cares if he got fired. Everyone does if you work for a self-serving lunatic. Those surgeon investors are still waiting for a big pay day, and waiting and waiting and waiting. Hey wasn't Steve Gorlin and Lew Bennett going to buy Custom with their penny stock LMAO, besides what does this have to do with Lanx and Nuvasive. Abdelgany another legend in his mind.

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    2. I don't care who he or she is, they created an entertaining blog where people could come and voice their opinions and thoughts. That being said the opinions and thoughts are not always good, right, ethical or moral and they are certainly not all about good, right ethical and morale people, companies and physicians. I personally think the more publicity the better as that is the only hope of change.

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    3. Does Abdelgany still have that crack engineering team, they are like the smurfs

      Delete
  25. TSB, I have a great idea to inject a little fun into this morose industry. Let's spend the rest of the summe doldrums comparing the biggest wankers in spine, to cartoon characters. I will start...

    This is so obvious, it is almost unfair, but when I see or hear T-t-t-t-erry Rich, I always think of Porky Pig. That rosy cheeked, stuttering porkulence embodies all that makes the spine world so toxic.

    Terry is the most abusive, insecure, underhanded, fat, sloppy, smelly, overrated executive in the orthopedic world. I have never met ANYONE that likes this guy. Sure, there are many that have, and will bend over and let this guy sodomize them, but that indictment on the character of his minions only proves that most of the guys working in this business are latent ankle grabbers.

    The only logical explanation for his ascent at NUVA before he was run out of town for his abusive conduct, is that he and Alex both are Rutgers grads...and fat...and abusive...hey, is there a Russian version of P-P-P-Porky?

    Terry, S-S-S-S-SUCK IT!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Whatever James Green... Terry was a bad ass at Nuva.

      Delete
  26. C'mon you pussies. You know you want to join the fun, but the culture of intimidation and fear of discovery has gotten the better of you. Blast away at the bloated middle managers in your company. They deserve it. Who cares if they find out, can they make your lives more miserable than they already do? What is one more weekly report, one more note in your HR file, one more abusive ride-along? Step up gentlemen. Let's mock the tools that spend their entire day trying to figure out ways to justify their position and their pay. You know you want to.

    SUCK IT managers and AVP's and Area Directors. You are all useless!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're the reason there is management. Someone has to be the adult.
      Maybe you have a tool for a boss but, hey, that's life kid. If you're so good then take YOUR business elsewhere. See if it goes with you. In fact if you don't like being held accountable then go out on your own. But remember, you're always accountable to someone!
      Now go back to standing around thinking you're the only reason your company has any business. Or you could do your job! But then again that might be why you're complaining. Not everyone can do the job they were hired for. Sounds like a change is in your future. I'd make it before your manager does it for you.

      Delete
    2. You are proof that everything I say is true! Quit taking yourself so seriously. If I had any business when I was in spine, I may have thought that, but unfortunately, I don't know how to suck dick, nor do I want to split my commissions with the filthy docs who want a hand-out for doing their job. So, I failed, for a long, long time.

      You and your self righteous attitude are what make the spine industry such a joke. Let me ask you a question: Is it more immature to get on this blog, and post, real, honest evaluations of people and practices, while trying to inject a bit of humor, or to sit around and preach maturity and pretend that you actually bring value to the business and the patient when EVERYONE knows you are just a poser and a fraud that will sell your soul for one more screw?

      I poo on your forehead.

      Suck it manager dorkus!

      Delete
    3. Lot's of suck it's from you. Maybe you would be more comfortable in, say, gay porn? Maybe a power bottom? I like your fiery attitude. I'm planning a new film "Harry bottom and the Sorcerer's Bone" You'd be perfect!

      Delete
    4. I said I was done with spine sales, that is about as close to gay porn as one can get. In fact, I think that there is probably more depth of character among the ranks of gay porn stars, than among spine reps.

      If you grab your ankles for your docs, or let them slip one load across your tongue, you have engaged in gay porn. It only takes one.

      Suck it, sodomite.

      Delete
    5. Done with spine sales but not done bitching about it. You can go now. You contribute nothing to this blog. Bye angry non spine, ex-Nuva case covering dude!

      Delete
  27. Did I just stumble into CafePharma? Feels like it...

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  28. You are all such cowards. SUCK IT!

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  29. 2 annoying phrases in this industry:

    1. Pucker factor
    2. Slick

    Every rep talk the same dang way...

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  30. Sales reps play a key role in my industry. The good ones are always three steps ahead of me and always have my best interest at heart. I think to myself, "how did they know I'd want that hot apple pie", and it makes a great deal of financial sense to "biggie size" that meal for just a dollar more. I think sales reps are an undervalued resource within most industries. Then again, I could be wrong, I'm the type of person that likes to cook bacon in my faux silk shortie robe. When will I learn?

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  31. TSB goes back further than John Nieradka....I think he has ties to AcroMed in the late 80's. He knows a lot about Art Steffee - personal and professional.

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  32. Did anybody see Zimmer Spine's "progress" this quarter? Any comments?

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  33. No progress. another negative quarter on a weak, very weak base of business. Graveline can't do Sh--t if he can't consult his way to growth..

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    Replies
    1. Zimmer will always be an old guard joint company. Upper management doesn't have a clue about how to succeed in the rough and tumble world of spine.

      Delete
    2. Some things never change with Napolean Dynamite at the helm, he learned all his tricks from Mogul

      Delete
  34. It is time to exit spine and let Covidien buy it up. For reps, time to find a new gig unless you want the $65,000 pay package and work with some recent college grads driving the standard Company-issued Ford Taurus. You might get a nice National Sales Meeting in Tucson though, or maybe even Orlando. For docs, you can teach a monkey to pick the next tool you will need in the O.R. and fill out the paperwork.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Smartest entry, by far.

      Everyone on here except this guy, MSM and gay porn dude from above.....Suck it!

      Delete
    2. I love how you keep coming back...like herpes.

      Delete
  35. It's been a while since I've read this blog, & now I know why. What is it the same 5 guys commenting back, & forth, or are all of you parasite sales reps ( just really a bunch of used car salesmen in disguise) just carbon copies of each other? Hard to say. Suffice to say that spine is a dirty, cut-throat industry. Manufacturers are squeezed beyond belief to cut costs, while salesmen, & hospitals mark up the products 1,000%. Who suffers? The patient, aka the little guy, as always. Fusion / fixation technology is 1/2 century old. Lanx makes the same junk as everyone else, & you all copy, & reverse engineer each others products. Get over it. I can only hope that something truly innovative comes out before I ever need surgery.

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    Replies
    1. I'm loving my markups as a rep. And the hospitals always get paid what they charge. Life is good out here in the real world.

      Delete
  36. I have been hearing Life Spines has 20 new patents pending. How do they do it, and who are the two surgeons behind the designs? I am only getting 8% on a great product line but have a non-compete clause in my contract with my cool distributor. Are they a real company or a master distributor for someone else who makes the prodcut? I just want to make more money man, but do not want to make a mistake for my docs and put them in a bad spot for sure. That would suck for me.

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    Replies
    1. How ironic is it that Life Spine is brought up in a blog pertaining to Lanx, & lawsuits. What a joke!!! Life Spine?? Patents? Their main claim to fame is their blatant, shameless copy of Aspen. Hard to say if there will be anything left when that lawsuit is said, & done.

      Delete
  37. Now what patent did Life Spine infringe upon from Lanx pertaining to the Aspen device. It is my understanding that those patents are not issued and probably won't be issued because they infringe on other patents held by larger companies. I do think Life Spine copied something from Lanx, unethical management, but there is hardly a shortage of that commodity in Spine.

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    Replies
    1. So why did lifespine just pay off Lanx 3.2million???

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    2. Say what you want... but Lanx had the lead with ISP and did nothing to get better. Now LifeSpine has teh best ISP on the market with their expandable Aspen... errr, Aileron.

      Delete
  38. Life Spine dude: keep your day job. Anyone jumping ship right now from the "establishment" is gonna have a rough road ahead.

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  39. Lanx is a joke and so is Lukianov for sueing them. His whole leadership team is EX Sofamor Danek. So if some one leaves him they are all the suddenly wrong?

    I just cant wait till NUVA has the "pay the piper" like all the other big companies. It will be very interesting to see the DJO report on how they grew to 500 mil in sales. Innovation? probably not.

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  40. I had the Lanx Aspen installed 8/1/2011 and late 2013 the pain started to return,and after some imaging studies and an Discogram it was found the system had failed. 1/9/2014 I had surgery , they removed the Aspen system and installed the old fashioned rods and screws. Aspen tells surgeons it’s to be used on a multi-level hernias. I know, I called and asked their customer service. When I checked their FDA approval as well as researching their patent information I found it was approved for ONE level only! I have issued a plea that if anyone else (as I have read on the Internet) has experienced as drastic failure to notify ,e and I will help coordinate exposure of it's failure! My fusions had not taken at any of the effected areas.

    This has DRASTICALLY caused me to delay my return to work , forcing me yet another huge economic blow!

    I have even read reports of Lanx doing payoffs to doctors to use their product, although I can not prove that , after learning the FDA's approval, I wouldn't be surprised!

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