In operating rooms across the country (and the world), orthopedic surgeons are helping their patients return to normal function.  Whether the patient is experiences a fracture of the Distal Radius, Tibial Plateau, Distal Femur, or Distal Humerus, the use of a depth gauge is critical to ensure the proper screw is used to ensure a successful procedure the first time.  

Depth gauges have been used since as early as the 1940s, improving in accuracy and ergonomics over the last 70+ years.  

We had the opportunity to speak with Mark Copeland, the Value Analysis Whisperer, who brings more than 20 years of experience in medical devices, about the details of his value analysis on the ‘not so hidden’ costs of traditional depth gauges.  

Q. What made you investigate Depth Gauges as a cost in Orthopedic Surgeries? 

Mark Copeland. It’s an interesting story.  The team at EDGe reached out to me with a theory that current, reusable depth gauges were costing hospitals far more than the hospital realized.  I was intrigued.  How could something as presumably simple as a depth gauge be a major cost? While an important part of an Orthopedic Surgery, it’s used for only a few minutes.  Can it really be a hidden cost?  And I was as surprised as anyone when I started my analysis, but it is a significant cost and creates an opportunity for hospitals.   

Q. What do you see as problems with traditional depth gauges?  

Mark Copeland. As I started to research, I realized the problems these depth gauges cause are multifactorial.  Depth Gauges are VERY difficult for the sterile processing department (SPD) to clean, and bioburden is often found in the instrument intraoperatively.  This is a major contamination and reportable event and delays the OR during the case.   Furthermore, operating rooms accumulate hundreds of wasted hours remeasuring, inserting and wasting screws and taking repeat X-rays.  Believe it or not, depth gauges are VERY hard to read as they age, and this adds to the surgeon’s frustration and mismeasured screws (and longer OR times and more radiation). 

Finally, while simple-looking, depth gauges are complicated to disassemble, clean, sterilize and reassemble.  Many look the same but have different Instructions for Use, leading to confusion and errors in Sterile Processing.  This risks falling compliance regarding following the Instructions for Use and are at risk for a finding/citation.  The annual expense by hospitals replacing bent, broken, lost or assembling incompatible depth gauge components alone is surprising.  

Q. What sort of variables did you consider in creating your analysis?  

Mark Copeland: To help surgeons and hospitals build a clear business case, I was able to summarize the annual effects of traditional depth gauges to a few areas. Specific to the OR, traditional depth gauges impact the following: 

• Time lost 

• Implants wasted 

• Implant costs 

• Other Delays 

For the SPD, I was focused on: 

• Time 

• Productivity 

• Depth Gauges Lost. 

Other, more difficult variables to quantify, but extremely important to the hospital are the risk of infection and reduction in radiation.   

Q. With those details, is it really possible that depth gauges can be costing hospitals $1 million a year?  

Mark Copeland: Yes, absolutely.  Obviously, there are determining variables around that cost, and I work closely with each hospital to use their numbers.  It may actually be higher for a hospital in a major city like New York or Boston, and lower for more rural hospitals, but in both cases the costs are significant and easily create the case for a better depth gauge.  

Q. So, hospitals may be spending $1 million a year on depth gauges. What should they do?  

Mark Copeland: Uncovering spending this significant creates a tremendous opportunity for hospitals to re-examine their current depth gauges and explore single-use, digital depth gauges, like EDGe surgical.  The use of a digital depth gauge helps to eliminate many of these costs while eliminating bioburden risks.   

Q. How can hospitals contact you for an analysis of their operating rooms? 

Mark Copeland.  Hospitals can visit my website https://www.valueanalysisexpert.com/ and schedule a call with me.