It’s a complicated decision-making process, especially when you’re talking about medical devices. … We want to make sure that we understand if there’s still an innovative nature to the
product offering. —Amy Van Sach, vice president of marketing, MedtronicExplore This Issue
October 2021
When a pre-carved silastic block used for thyroplasty procedures was discontinued by Medtronic a few years ago, physicians learned to carve the shape they needed from an older-style brick-shaped block, said Dr. Bock. While the pre-carved block had a ridge already cut into it for placement in a base, the uncarved ones required the surgeons to carve out the ridges themselves before carving out the implant needed for the patient.
Although the workaround was successful, it wasn’t without issues. “It’s clear rubber—you can’t see where you’ve carved it very well,” he added. He has also accidentally cut the bottom piece too far, leaving too fragile of a piece to fit in the base. When it ripped off, he had to start all over again.
Van Sach said that, unfortunately, the pre-carved block didn’t match the company’s focus on innovation. “In that particular instance, over time the block was less innovative than it had been when it was first introduced, and I think that was a key consideration there,” she said.
Notification and Communication
There’s no true, defined process for notifying the medical community about whether a product is under consideration for discontinuance, at least in the formalized way in which a government agency has an open call for public comment when new regulations are being considered, said Van Sach. But, she noted, her company uses a “continual medical feedback loop” involving communication at conferences and during in-person interactions, sales interactions, market research studies, and physician panels to gather information and notify physicians of new product releases and potential discontinuations.
Although there’s also no formal policy at Medtronic on how much notice the company gives to physicians before a product is taken off the market, Van Sach added, the general practice is “to give as much notice as possible.”
Dr. Bock agreed that better communication leading to these discontinuations could help physicians ready themselves. “It’s certainly nice when they can loop in the practitioners who are using the products extensively before they make decisions, to see if there’s some way to sustain the product until we have an adequate replacement,” he said. “I don’t blame the manufacturer for having to make business decisions, but at the same time it can be harsh and can affect patient care.”
“What I would hope is apparent about the way that we work with customers and with physicians anywhere in the world is that we do our best to make ourselves a trusted partner,” Van Sach said. “We do work to be innovative and to provide solutions that give the most benefit to the greatest number of people.”