The Market for Minimally Invasive Medical Devices

Additional Information

INTRODUCTION

MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGERY

Minimally invasive surgery is performed without making a major incision or opening, resulting in fewer traumas for the patient and yielding significant cost savings. These are results of shorter hospitalization times and reduced therapy requirements. Other benefits of minimally invasive surgery are less pain, less need for postsurgical pain medication, less scarring, and less likelihood of complications related to the incision.

Thus, minimally invasive surgery is defined either as based on the operative procedure (e.g., small incisions) or the outcome (reduced surgical complications or costs). However, minimally invasive is not the same as minor surgery. Some ¡°minimally invasive¡± procedures, (e.g., coronary artery bypass surgery), are still major operations requiring a hospital stay.

In minimally invasive surgery, a miniature camera is introduced into the body through a small incision. It transmits images to a video monitor, enabling the physician to diagnose and, if necessary, treat a variety of conditions. To do this, the physician inserts surgical instruments and auxiliary devices, such as irrigation and drainage devices, through one or more small incisions.

Minimally invasive procedures share some important characteristics with minimally invasive surgery, but should not be confused with either ambulatory (¡°walk-in¡±) or noninvasive surgery.

MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGERY VS. AMBULATORY SURGERY

Some types of minimally invasive surgery can be performed in an ambulatory (nonhospital) setting, but minimally invasive surgery is not necessarily identical with ambulatory surgery. Attempts to delineate minimally invasive surgery from ambulatory surgery, on the basis of incision size or use of an endoscope or other device to look inside the patient¡¯s body, run into too many exceptions to be very useful.

Perhaps the best way to distinguish minimally invasive surgery from other types of ambulatory surgery is to define it as surgery that if performed using conventional open-incision techniques, requires hospital admission. This definition excludes such minor surgical procedures as vasectomies. These almost never are performed separately in a hospital setting.

MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGERY VS. NONINVASIVE SURGERY

In a sense, the ultimate minimally invasive surgery does not require any incision or physical entry into the patient¡¯s body. Examples include the use of ultrasound to break up gallstones and radiation to shrink or kill tumors. For purposes of this report, only those surgical procedures that involve physical access to the body through an incision or a natural orifice are considered minimally invasive surgery.

STUDY BACKGROUND

A growing number of surgical procedures are carried out using minimally invasive techniques. This has created a multibillion-dollar market for specialized devices and instruments used for these procedures. They include monitors and imaging equipment, electrosurgical devices, handheld instruments, auxiliary devices, and accessories.

Because the use of these products is increasing so rapidly, there is a pressing need to develop an up-to-date base of market information to better understand the dynamics of the market for minimally invasive surgical devices and instruments. More than two years have passed since BCC Research published the previous edition of this study, ¡°Trends in the Noninvasive and Minimally invasive Medical Device Market¡± (HLC051E). It analyzed key growth areas and developed quantitative market projections.

Since then, the market has continued to evolve. The population served by established markets is aging, bringing new surgical needs, while new markets are opening up. Technological advances have expanded the range of surgical procedures that can be performed using minimally invasive techniques, while giving physicians new tools for the diagnosis and treatment of injuries and pathologies.

Meanwhile, the structure of the healthcare industry is changing, as traditional hospitals consolidate and other healthcare options become available to consumers. This study attempts to give management readers the information and analysis they need to deal with these challenges.

STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

This study meets these needs by analyzing global markets for minimally invasive surgical devices and instruments (see Scope and Format for a definition of these devices) in light of the most recent available information. In addition to looking at current and future markets, the study will analyze technological, demographic, and economic developments that may have a long-term impact on the size and structure of the market for minimally invasive devices and instruments.

This report also provides an analysis of the market for minimally invasive devices and instruments by type of surgical procedure, device, end user, and region. The future of minimally invasive surgical equipment also will be discussed, with forecasts for consumption of specific products.