Instrument Kits Offer Cost-Effective Option For Improving OR Efficiency

An innovative choice for surgical instrumentation may mean improved operating room efficiency as well as reduced processing costs for outpatient and hospital procedures.

Novastep’s cleanSTART Single-Use, Self-Contained Sterile Instrument Kits are engineered to reduce cross-contamination risks and streamline operating room prep, according to the manufacturer. The kits are the latest addition to the company’s cleanSTART portfolio of products, which includes sterile packaged implants and modular trays.

Each instrument kit is self-contained for its designation, minimally sized and efficiently packaged in a “nested tube” cartridge. The single-use kits are tailored to work with Novastep’s sterile implants, allowing for immediate off-the-shelf use.

The company describes its cleanSTART deployment technology as a customizable logistics platform for hospitals and surgical centers, one that reduces inventory and sterile field volumes as well as delays due to lost or damaged equipment.

It is an approach that appeals to Adam Landsman, DPM, PhD, FACFAS, who has been using the system for about a year. Dr. Landsman praises the simplicity of the cleanSTART system, citing low cost, ease of use, rapid turnover and easy management of stock as key benefits.

“Also, because [the kits] are delivered sterile and are disposable, there is no danger of contamination during processing,” says Dr. Landsman, an Assistant Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and the Chief of the Division of Podiatric Surgery at Cambridge Health Alliance.

An added bonus is the product’s compact size, meaning there’s no need to take up the whole OR with boxes of trays, says Dr. Landsman.

Joseph Larsen, DPM, DABPS, has also been using the product for about a year and says it increases OR efficiency “because everything you need is in one individual package.”

Dr. Larsen, the Chief of Podiatry at ProHealthCare Associates in New York City, says the system is unique because no other product on the market offers individual inventory pre-sterilized. He finds that the cleanSTART system improves both storage and inventory control at his facility.

In fact, the entire cleanSTART system is very user-friendly, says Dr. Larsen.

“What I also like about it is that the instruments grab the implants right out of the tube so there is no extra handling,” adds Dr. Larsen.

Dr. Landsman points to the cost-effectiveness of the cleanSTART system, noting that it immediately eliminates some costs, such as those related to the processing of trays.

Another benefit, says Dr. Landsman, is the fact that the inventory is always accurate. “I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I have opened a tray to find that a screwdriver handle is missing or that they only stocked two of the 16 mm screws that I use all of the time.”

“I just think (the cleanSTART system) is the wave of the future in instrumentation,” concludes Dr. Larsen.

Ms. Garthwait is a freelance writer who lives in Downingtown, Pa.