Becker's ASC Review

51 ORTHOPEDICS Mass hires of orthopedic surgeons at 3 hospitals, health systems By Angie Stewart Three hospitals and health systems hired multiple orthopedic surgeons in the past month: Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, Ill., expanded services with the addition of four orthopedic surgeons. Six orthopedic surgeons, one sports medicine specialist and five physician assistants joined SSM Health Bone & Joint, which is part of St. Louis-based SSM Health Medical Group, at the start of the year. Midwest Orthopaedic Hospital at UnityPoint Health-Proctor in Peoria, Ill., opened, with a team of 13 orthopedic surgeons and four physicians. n Mercy to acquire 11-physician orthopedic group with 2 surgery centers By Alan Condon G alena, Kan.-based Orthopedic Specialists of the Four States signed an agreement Jan. 26 to join Mercy, reports The Joplin Globe. Ortho Four States has 11 physicians, including three spine surgeons, according to its website. The group has five office locations and two surgery centers, Premier Surgical Institute and Stateline Surgery Center, both of Galena, Kan., which will also become part of Mercy. The organizations will begin using Mercy's name and branding in August, when the deal is expected to be finalized. n Omar Ishrak's tenure at Medtronic: 5 of the biggest partnerships, product launches By Alan Condon O mar Ishrak's nearly 10-year tenure as chairman and CEO of Medtronic will come to an end when he retires April 26. During Mr. Ishrak's time at Medtronic, the company's annual revenues doubled, and its market capitalization increased by more than $100 billion. Geoff Martha, who leads the company's restorative therapies group and previously oversaw the company's spine business, will succeed Mr. Ishrak April 27. Here are five of the biggest moments in Medtronic's spine division during Mr. Ishrak's tenure: 1. In 2016, Mr. Ishrak spearheaded Medtron- ic's investment in spinal robotics company Mazor Robotics. Medtronic inked a major deal that led to the acquisition of Mazor for about $1.7 billion in December 2018. 2. Medtronic combined its spinal implants, navigation and 3D imaging technology with Mazor's robotic-assisted spine surgery sys- tem and launched the Mazor X Stealth Edi- tion system for robotic-assisted spine surgery in January 2019. Last year, more than 50 U.S. hospitals used the Mazor X system in over 1,000 procedures. 3. In 2015, Medtronic acquired Covidien, a $10 billion global manufacturer of surgical products and supplies. e $42.9 billion tax inversion deal moved Medtronic's corporate headquarters to Dublin, Ireland, availing of the country's low corporation tax. e trans- action was the largest medical technology acquisition in the industry's history. 4. e Prestige LP cervical disc system was launched in 2016, expanding the capabili- ties of the original Prestige cervical disc, released in 2007. Prestige LP is designed for the treatment of single-level cervical disc disease, enabling motion in the neck at the operated levels, unlike a fusion surgery. A 2017 study in e Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine reported an 81.4 percent success rate in patients who underwent disc replacement with Prestige LP compared to a 69.4 percent success rate for patients who had an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. 5. Last year, Medtronic acquired Titan Spine, a private company focused on titanium spinal implants and surface technology. e deal en- ables Medtronic to bundle interbodies, screws, rods, biologics and enabling technologies — which includes robotics and navigation — for an overall integrated spine solution. e Mazor acquisition is only beginning to show signs of paying off, Mr. Ishrak said at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in January. "Our spine business this last year … has had its strongest year, and the robot has played a big role in that." Medtronic plans to expand its robotic technology into general surgery within the next year and Mr. Ishrak is confident the company will be in good hands under Mr. Martha's leadership. "is [retirement] plan and its timing en- able Geoff and I to partner on achieving Medtronic's key financial performance goals as well as delivering on our critical pipeline milestones, including several important product launches," Mr. Ishrak said. "Geoff is a results-oriented, dynamic and innova- tive business leader who is passionate and committed to our mission: the advancement of our growth strategy and the development and diversity of our people." n

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