Christopher Duntsch is gripping because a surgeon’s treacherous
incompetence is the worst form of betrayal we can imagine.^1
My hope is that a balanced view of the shortcomings of the medical
device industry and an appreciation for the spectacular accomplishments
of the scientists, doctors, and businessmen who comprise that industry will
provide a sober outlook that will empower our society (and our
lawmakers) to sculpt the rules of the implant revolution. But that
viewpoint is attained only when an historical comprehension is achieved
and an understanding of where we are today is grasped.
Healthcare is expensive because technological breakthroughs are costly;
patients who have health insurance can afford pricey solutions, and
hospitals are happy to provide therapies that boost their bottom line. As
shown in this book, we will soon exceed twenty million implant operations
per year in America, at a cost of hundreds of billions of dollars. We love
complaining about how “inefficient” the healthcare industry and health
insurance are, but none of this is possible without them.
It should be obvious by now that modern healthcare is fantastically
expensive because implants, drugs, hospitals, and doctors are expensive. It
was far cheaper when doctors were ignorant, hospitals were death houses,
drugs were rudimentary, and implants were nonexistent.
To elevate the implant revolution to the next level, the following must
occur:
- Comprehensive, all-inclusive implant registries.
- Improved FDA regulation of medical devices, perhaps
necessitating a complete reinvention of the approval process. - Improved price transparencies in health insurance and medical
care. - Publication of all surgeons’ and hospitals’ complication rates and
outcomes
With these recommendations, I have managed to antagonize both my
physician colleagues and everyone in the medical device industry. Given
the stakes, the massive costs associated with all four recommendations are
justified. Who will pay? Likely, a combination of manufacturers,
physicians, insurance companies, and hospitals. There will be pain and
sacrifices by all involved, but if America is to maintain our scientific