Bone Growth Stimulators

Richard was given two different kinds of bone growth stimulators after his surgeries at Mayo Clinic.  After the first surgery, he was given was ultrasonic (Exogen).  That one would work as long as he wanted to use it and as many times as he wanted to use it.  It required gel similar to that used in a sonogram, and they would supply that as often as needed.  This one was used by putting the device with the gel on it over the area that needed to be healed.  It would be held in that location by velcro. The little part that actually stimulates bone growth is small, and we often worried if we were placing it in the correct location. The doctor would mark the location with a permanent marker, but of course, that doesn't last long and so who knows how close it was actually put to the break.  

After the second surgery, he got a electromagnetic (CMF0L1000) bone growth stimulator.  This one could only be used for a period of 20-30 minutes every 24 hours.  If you attempted to use it before that 24 hour period was over, it would not work.  It would also stop working after the 30 minutes that it was programed to run.  He would put his arm in the device and rest it there for the prescribed time. If you stop it in the middle of the treatment, you cannot restart it for 24 hours.  The device is programmed to run as they set it, and you cannot alter it.  You can use it again for the same injury, but if you want to use it for a different injury, you have to pay for the device a second time, or the insurance will be charged for that device a second time.  It can only be used 279 days in a row.  It cannot be used by another patient. Insurance was billed $4200 for this device.  The other was similarly priced.  

I am really not too sure why they changed the type of device he got for the second surgery.  We can't really say which one was more effective because his bone never healed, but we can say that Richard preferred the first one, the ultrasonic one, because he wanted to use it more frequently than it was prescribed.  I cannot say if wanting to do this was the reason it didn't heal.  You will have to draw your own conclusions about that.  

And just as a side note, medical devices are the price they are.  They do not reduce the price for any reason.  Doctors have to take less by insurance companies, hospitals do as well, but medical supply companies do not.  Their devices never go on sale, and they cannot be returned after you are finished with them to give to another patient. They are just garbage when you are done with them.  Since Rich can't stomach throwing away $9000 worth of medical equipment, we will probably keep them both forever.