What To Know
- This is a major advantage, as a typical surgical drill that spins tens of thousands of times in a minute can be very dangerous if it touches soft tissue,” adds Niemelä.
- “We see our solution as part of a bigger change that is happening in surgery, and that enables wider use of automation in many types of procedures.
Finnish startup Surgify that recently launched an all-new and innovative surgical technology which allows surgeons to perform surgical operations on bones faster and safer has seen its first use cases on patients.
Surgify’s flagship cutting technology is a result of diligent development work. The first surgeries were successfully performed in October 2021 at Helsinki University Hospital (HUS), and the results are extremely promising.
“The two surgical patients recovered well from their surgeries and returned home quickly. Neither faced soft tissue damage during the operation,” says Head of HUS Neurosurgery and Professor Mika Niemelä.
Surgify’s technology cuts bone while preventing injuries to easily damageable soft tissues such as meninges, muscles, blood vessels, nerve pathways, or central nervous system structures. Depending on the type of surgery, the risk of soft tissue damage can be up to 30 percent. With Surgify’s technology, such injuries can possibly be avoided entirely. Severe soft tissue damage can, at worst, result in permanent injury or patient death.
“Surgify’s device appears to push the soft tissue out of the way. This is a major advantage, as a typical surgical drill that spins tens of thousands of times in a minute can be very dangerous if it touches soft tissue,” adds Niemelä.
Clinical procedures with Surgify’s new technology will continue at HUS.
Innovation that results in millions in savings for hospitals and paves the way for the use of robotics
Surgify’s technology can potentially save hospitals up to €3 million a year, thanks to the prevention of complications and lessened need for continued care. When the soft tissue is not damaged, the patient needs less treatment, recovers faster, and postoperative complications are less likely.
Soft tissue damage is particularly common in the elderly, as the tissue in older patients is naturally more fragile. As the number of elderly patients increases, so do the risks. Globally, such complications cost nearly €4 billion, and as the population ages, this can be expected to grow without innovative solutions.
New technological devices are making a breakthrough in medical care. Already today, robots are used to operate some parts of the surgery. Surgify’s technology is perfectly suitable for both traditional handheld surgeries as well as surgical robotics.
“We see our solution as part of a bigger change that is happening in surgery, and that enables wider use of automation in many types of procedures. We envision enabling surgeons to perform their surgical skills beyond the limitations of current surgical instrumentation, allowing best-in-class surgical procedures for every patient and cost-efficient innovation for the health system,” says Surgify’s CEO, Visa Sippola.
Next, Surgify targets the international market with its product. Their internationalization strategy is sharpened by their newly appointed Chair of Board, Lex R. Giltaij MD MBA. He has been serving for more than 30 years in senior executive positions creating and building international businesses for many orthopedic and spinal companies, amongst them Stryker, St. Francis Medical Technology (now Medtronic), and Pioneer Surgical (now RTI Surgical).
“We’re starting in the Nordic countries and will soon take our groundbreaking technology to the international markets in the EU and USA. We are also looking forward to continuing our effective collaboration work with HUS,” Giltaij concludes.
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