M A Y 2 0 2 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 6 5
O
n the sur-
face, the
decision
to stan-
dardize
your facility's mesh sup-
plies is all about dollars
and cents. After all, if
you can switch from a
couple dozen types of
mesh to just two or
three, surgeons will have
fewer decisions to make
and you can put togeth-
er bigger orders with a
single manufacturer who will reward you with a significant dis-
count. Everybody wins, right? Not necessarily.
Surgeon preference should always be a key component of any
decision to standardize mesh supplies. And rightly so. Skilled
physicians who perform scores of hernia repairs are very particu-
lar about the mesh products they use. Surgeons with low recur-
rence and complication rates who are used to using a specific
type of mesh will be loath to change the material they use unless
there's some compelling evidence that doing so will result in bet-
ter outcomes.
At the same time, cost is a huge consideration for facilities —
The Right Way to Standardize Mesh Supplies
Consolidate your stock based on
surgeon preference, cost and positive outcomes.
Mark Reiner, MD, FACS | New York, N.Y.
• IN GOOD HANDS Standardizing your facility's mesh supply should start by
putting together a committee consisting of the surgeons who do the most
hernia repairs.