Digital Surgical Guide

2thm8kr

2thm8kr

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You think the tech will get sued as well?...If so, do you think labs should require .dicom files for all surgical guides or they don't get a surgical guide from your lab?

My opinion and I'm just guessing really.

Every surgical planning software or service I have used has a 'warning notice' about the inaccuracies introduced by scatter in the dicom, matching the tissue scan to the dicom, type of surgical guide used, and the techniques used for the surgery, etc., etc.
It states that the ultimate responsibility is on the surgeon placing the implant at time of surgery to move forward using the guide or not. "By clicking here you accept these risks." Blah, blah, blah.

This may insulate the lab or guide company from litigation, but that doesn't mean some lawyer won't attempt to name the lab/technician/guide company in the suit.

I do 90%+ of all plans we do here. EVERY case I plan is reviewed with the surgeon who will be doing the placement. They decide on what changes are needed and the plan is amended as necessary and only then is the guide designed and fabricated.

My opinion is the surgeon is a 'specialist', who will ultimately be liable for something that goes south during the procedure or after. Every one on the team is a 'specialist' in their own right and each rely on the others expertise for each stage of the plan.
The surgery is the realm of the specialist and it is up to them to use there knowledge and experience to guide the rest of the team for optimal results. The restorative is the realm of the other team members, but this should be part of the planning process and all risks and rewards of the restoration should be discussed in great detail. Communication is key as with all things we do in this business.

Choose your specialists wisely. It is no different than working with GPs. Some strive to excel and some are happy treading water where they are with no gumption to improve. Generally speaking I won't work with GPs who place their own implants. I believe that it takes more than a few mini residency programs to specialize in implant placement. One of the surgeons I work with had to restore his own implants during his training and graduated top of the class. I love working with this guy and learn something on every case. Some others around me are offended that I won't work with them, but I have seen some of their results and doubt much effort went into planning. If my or the GP's opinion and experience doesn't carry much weight with the surgeon, I don't see much chance of a strong team being cultivated. Have a look at my favorite thread Facepalm cases.

If you are looking at sx guides as just another stream of income for your lab I say you may be setting yourself up for some turbulence ahead.

I don't offer old style guides any longer knowing what I know now.
 
TheLabGuy

TheLabGuy

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Very interesting...and kudos to you for sticking to your guns and running your business, instead of letting your customers run it. Seriously, hats off to you for it. I will admit, that i'm not totally against GP's placing their own implants, heck I've seen enough stuck up, your just a tech type attitude from Surgeons myself. However, as this surgical part of the digital industry increases...I really think .dicom files will be the norm. Then, I really believe the whole team concept won't be flying blind and the planning will finally get done. That's what us techs been screaming about for decades.
 

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