Its Weight in Gold?

Last month was filled with travel, but I want to share a particular trip with you. Earlier, I attended EACTS - European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery where I met a French surgeon who was acquainted with both Transonic Systems Inc. and Medistim. He was interested when I told him that we could give him exactly what he wanted and needed: flow measurement alone for 1/3 the price. It didn’t hurt that he knew something of our reputation. “You guys are the ‘Gold Standard,’ right?” he said. I continued the joke. “Platinum, actually,” I laughed. “After all, we pioneered the technology. I’d say it’s at least worth its weight in gold...”?

So before the month was out, I found myself standing in his OR. This wasn’t the first time I’d been part of a CABG team, but it was the most memorable. The team was small and tight-knit, operating like a well-oiled machine, and the surgeon was an educator, all of which added up to a stellar learning opportunity for me! For a variety of reasons (age, genetics, etc) vessel integrity can degrade, and in this case, it certainly had. However, the surgeon and his team were up to the task. I watched for hours as they danced deftly with the delicate vasculature, feeding me a stream of information all the way. The team harvested the LIMA, skeletonized it, and anastomosed it across the LAD. The RIMA was harvested next (10cm this time), skeletonized, and spliced in as a Y-graft across the LIMA. The distal portion, however, was used to bypass the ramus intermedius.?

And of course, the surgeon’s prowess was bolstered by our own technical savvy, via the FlowXL. It was a long surgery, and our flow measurements assisted all the way. As I mentioned, the vessels were poor quality and the surgeon was conscientious, so he often tried multiple probes to make certain he had the best fit, and always measured before and after anastomosis.?

After witnessing the FlowXL’s performance, the surgeon and his team insisted on buying the system. I will return in a few weeks to complete the sale, and to continue forging another of the manufacturer-client relationships on which we all depend. I hope that this leads to the appointment of a French distributor for all of our Surgical and Critical Care. The north of France holds 4 major hospitals collectively performing 2000 CABG surgeries per year, and none of them use TTFM. It’s a field ripe for harvest!?

At the end of the day, perhaps it is not about gold standards as much as golden opportunities. Each of us knows only certain pieces of life’s puzzle. That’s why learning opportunities (like this one) are invaluable to me. Since the dawn of time, humans have shared meals as a way of bonding, fostering camaraderie, and even showing good faith in times of conflict. While we still share food, we’ve also evolved more complex methods of building the same rapport. For example, we share technological advancement. In this case, the surgeon educated me (CABG surgery), and in a smaller way, I educated him (FlowXL).?

I am Dutch, the surgeon is French, and I’ve written this article in English for publication in an American-based periodical. In other words, it doesn’t matter where you’re from or what differences may seem to stand between you and your potential clients. Both of you share a need for greater knowledge, deepened skills, and of course, enhanced medical technology which Transonic is here to provide.?

If you’re willing to share your curiosity, your knowledge and—this is equally important—to receive the same from others, you will watch the doors of distribution open for you!?

Life is good. Just Keep it Real!?

Wilfred van der Velde