top of page

BackTable / Innovation / Podcast / Episode #51

Operating Room Innovation: the ExplORer Surgical Story

with Dr. Alexander Langerman

In this episode, host Dr. Bryan Hartley interviews head and neck surgeon and entrepreneur Dr. Alex Langerman about the story of his startup, ExplORer Surgical and his idea generation advice for physician-innovators.

Be part of the conversation. Put your sponsored messaging on this episode. Learn how.

Operating Room Innovation: the ExplORer Surgical Story with Dr. Alexander Langerman on the BackTable Innovation Podcast)
Ep 51 Operating Room Innovation: the ExplORer Surgical Story with Dr. Alexander Langerman
00:00 / 01:04

BackTable, LLC (Producer). (2023, April 25). Ep. 51 – Operating Room Innovation: the ExplORer Surgical Story [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from https://www.backtable.com

Stay Up To Date

Follow:

Subscribe:

Sign Up:

Podcast Contributors

Dr. Alexander Langerman discusses Operating Room Innovation: the ExplORer Surgical Story on the BackTable 51 Podcast

Dr. Alexander Langerman

Dr. Alexander Langerman is a head and neck surgeon with Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN, and the co-founder of Explorer Surgical.

Dr. Bryan Hartley discusses Operating Room Innovation: the ExplORer Surgical Story on the BackTable 51 Podcast

Dr. Bryan Hartley

Dr. Bryan Hartley is a practicing radiologist, host of the BackTable Innovation series, and co-founder of Pulmera in Palo Alto, CA.

Synopsis

Dr. Langerman starts by describing his journey into head and neck surgery and his University of Chicago research lab, where he conducted research over improvements in the operating room (OR) setting. The idea to make the OR more efficient stemmed from a conversation with a medical student who wondered why so many operating tools were opened and laid out, but never used. This question led him on a tour of different ORs around the country, where he learned that a lot of his colleagues shared the same frustrations about inefficiencies in the OR. When he returned to his institution, he visited different surgical departments and integrated their concerns into a roadmap of aspects that could be improved upon.

We also discuss the value of bringing in non-physicians who have fresh perspectives. Dr. Langerman sought feedback and help from business and design students, which eventually led to the incorporation of his company, ExplORer Surgical, and a pitch at the New Venture Challenge Competition. While he worked on communication with surgeons about minimizing waste in the OR, his co-founder, Jennifer Fried, led the effort to find investors. The company’s inflection point occurred when they shifted the focus away from healthcare institutions and towards medical device companies. The ExplORer Surgical app became a playbook that device companies could use to educate operators and ensure that their devices were being implemented in the exact way that they were intended to be used, thus ensuring consistent outcomes and minimizing complications. It also offers a way for sales representatives to virtually teleconference into the OR and guide operators through the procedure. During COVID, this technology became incredibly useful to ensure that collaboration between the OR and medical device companies could still continue. The company was eventually acquired by GHX Medical in 2021.

Dr. Langerman encourages physician entrepreneurs to try “idea harvesting,” defined as pitching your idea to others, in the effort to see what resonates with them and learn how to improve your pitch. Additionally, finding a team of business professionals that can help run day-to-day operations is a great way to free up time and energy for further idea generation.

Resources

Disclaimer: The Materials available on BackTable.com are for informational and educational purposes only and are not a substitute for the professional judgment of a healthcare professional in diagnosing and treating patients. The opinions expressed by participants of the BackTable Podcast belong solely to the participants, and do not necessarily reflect the views of BackTable.

backtable-plus-vi-cta.jpg
Become a BackTable Sponsor

Up Next

New Approaches to Patient Acquisition & Marketing with Dr. Reza Rajebi on the BackTable Innovation Podcast)
Biodesign Insights: Embracing Risk & Innovation with Dr. Christopher Kinsella on the BackTable Innovation Podcast)
Endovascular Innovations: The Ellipsys Story with Dr. Jeffrey Hull on the BackTable Innovation Podcast)
World of Hurt: A New Film About Medical Malpractice  with Viknesh Kasthuri on the BackTable Innovation Podcast)
Innovations in Superficial Venous Disease Treatment with Dr. Ali Golshan on the BackTable Innovation Podcast)
Evolution of Healthcare Media with Scott Becker on the BackTable Innovation Podcast)

Articles

Topics

Learn about Digital Health on BackTable Innovation
Learn about Innovation on BackTable Innovation

Get in touch!

We want to hear from you. Let us know if you’re interested in partnering with BackTable as a Podcast guest, a sponsor, or as a member of the BackTable Team.

Select which show(s) you would like to subscribe to:

Thanks! Message sent.

bottom of page