POSTED BY
Liz Moyles
This week I had the real pleasure of speaking with Steve Caswell from Episurf; a fantastic Swedish Orthopedic company making bespoke implants and surgical equipment using 3D modelling. It is a really interesting company, and you can read more here https://episurf.com/.
Steve has been busy flying all over the world for work – meeting clients, distributors, team members and selling the great message about Episurf solutions. Since January, he has already been to Poland, France, Israel, and many more countries – incredible. I managed to grab some time with him en-route to the airport and asked him a few questions. Here is what he had to say…
So Steve, what led you to take on the role you have today and where did your passion for this industry stem from?
There are many reasons I took the role I have today. Of course, the opportunity to work internationally with multiple market introductions was an exciting challenge, but I was also very impressed with Episurf’s software capability – the information being shared with surgeons is a real value-add. I remain convinced that there is a good runway for personalised devices in Orthopedics, and it is only a matter of time before technologies converge to create significant value for patients.
My passion for medical devices came from my days as a Physiotherapist. I remember as a learning experience, attending Joint Replacement surgery – embarrassingly, I nearly passed out! – but since then I have always been intrigued by the medical device industry.
What makes you want to leap out of bed on a workday and get on with matters at hand?
We have plenty going on in multiple countries, so no matter what time of day - there is lots of activity. Those that know me, know I am an ‘always on’ kind of person, so it’s more of a challenge getting me to switch off than it is to get me going!
What is it that your company/ team do that you find so motivating/ humbling/ satisfactory?
Episurf are a small team, so the passion that drives the team to deliver the best outcome for the patient is very real. Recently, we had our first patient to reach 10 years in the office in Stockholm, which I know the team loved. We don’t have anything cliché printed on the wall (yet!). The genuine desire to do the best for our customers and patients is loud and clear.
Why did you choose your company in particular?
I previously mentioned that I was attracted to Episurf’s software capability – that was a big attraction. Additionally, I spent nearly 8 years at a large orthopedic device company which was a fantastic experience; some awesome technologies and innovation. But it is clear to me that innovation happens at both ends of the market and there are plenty of smaller companies that are making waves with their technologies. I believe that in the not-so-distant future (with converging advances in technologies) joint arthroplasty will look very different. We are due a paradigm shift in the fundamental principles of joint preservation and repair.
Collaboration drives innovation (in my opinion) – what opportunities do you see out there in the medical devices world to be more innovative in offering patients and surgeons a more joined up solution?
I think to this point, there has been some good progress with acceptance of ‘new’ technologies such as robotics and enhanced digital planning. Of course, there are plenty of people who will point out that there is no definitive proof these are making clear-cut differences in outcomes for patients (depending on the level of proof one requires). The burden of proof will remain large in Orthopedics, but this will not stifle the desire of a new generation of surgeons to adopt such promising technologies, and we are likely on the cusp of some significant advances in how these technologies are combined. I also think the sector is yet to benefit from insights generated from the ‘great big data grab’ that has been happening over the last few years. The best companies in this space should be packaging this all together in a meaningful way, but also help healthcare providers to deliver better quality care.
What might be different for patients / surgeons in the future?
Like it or not, robotic systems and digital workflows are here to stay – surgeons are getting used to the vast amount of data and precision at their fingertips. Implant design to this point, is largely based on traditional methods of bone preparation. Innovation will begin to flow through into implant design and joint preservation philosophies will evolve.
Finally, what song would get you jigging on the dance floor????
Liz, if you think I get to choose the songs in the Caswell household - you are very wrong! With 3 daughters to keep me in check, my eclectic taste will stay at the bottom of the list for many years to come
