Medacta International: Founded by a Patient, Exceptional Through Training
Francesco Siccardi, executive vice president of Medacta International and son of the founder, tells OTW,
“Years ago I watched my father suffer after undergoing a total hip replacement. He and I both knew that there had to be a better way.
We could see the advantages of the anterior hip approach, and we were personally motivated to find a way to give patients a superior surgical experience. To that end, we partnered with esteemed French surgeon Frédéric Laude, M.D., one of the original innovators of the anterior approach. Together, we created the AMIS (anterior minimally invasive surgery) Technique, a muscle-sparing approach that has resulted in shorter hospital stays, faster rehabilitation time, and a quicker return to daily activities.”
“Medacta has an educational program that allowed me to learn this technique comprehensively and implement it in a safe manner. The anterior approach does have a steep learning curve and it can be frustrating. With the Medacta program, the surgeon first goes to a Reference Center to observe a surgeon who is proficient in the technique. After the Reference Center visit, the trainee can then participate in an introductory course with didactic classroom sessions and cadaver lab sessions. If he or she decides to adopt the technique, Medacta arranges for a proctoring surgeon to be on hand in the OR for their first cases and as many times after this as the trainee feels is necessary,” says training participant-turned-AMIS educator, Peter Thadani, M.D., who is with the Illinois Bone and Joint Institute.
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