In no other field is it as important to be perfect than the operating room, where increasingly complex procedures bring dwindling margins for error. One innovative Cleveland-based firm has stepped in to ensure doctors get all the practice they need.
Simbionix USA Corp. has become an international leader in simulation-based medical training and education simulators, allowing young doctors to gain experience in surgical procedures, veteran surgeons to hone their skills and all doctors to better visualize intricate procedures beforehand.
"It's made a huge difference in patient care, especially for procedures where it's critical, where there's little room for error," says Simbionix's U.S. Director of Marketing, Bill Lewandowski. "We have about 900 of our simulators in hospitals worldwide, mostly in hospitals that are associated with teaching institutions like the Cleveland Clinic and the Mayo Clinic."
"We're on every continent but Antarctica. We just can't get any of the sales guys to go there," he jokingly adds.
Simbionix's exponential growth � founded in Israel in 1997, it later moved to Cleveland to follow investment money � has mirrored hospitals' use of highly technical, minimally invasive surgery robotic systems. The most prominent, Intuitive Surgical's highly precise da Vinci surgical system, is a multi-armed operating room robot that allows for less invasive procedures, fewer post-surgical complications for patients and quicker recovery times. It also demands extensive training, which is one area where Simbionix's simulators have proven invaluable.
Using actual patient data, Simbionix simulators allow doctors to practice the surgery electronically beforehand, identifying possible problems before the first incision is made.
The company has more that 70 employees, but because of a recent
Ohio Third Frontier grant expects to surpass 80 and expand its Medical Education Divison in Cleveland.
Source: Bill Lewandowski, SimbionixWriter: Dave Malaska