Advantus Medical
805.962.7100
104 West Anapamu Street Ste. A
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Pain Management without Pills
SMALL BUSINESS NEWS
NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
While some patients take Percocet or Percodan to relieve post-operative pain, others are turning to mechanical devices distributed by the Santa Barbara-based company Advantus Medical to alleviate their discomfort.
A distributor of durable medical equipment, Advantus Medical has found its niche in the area of pain management.
"We can provide anything and everything;" said company president Barry Johnson, "but what we're trying to focus on are pain-management devices, rehab equipment and orthopedic surgical implants. There's lots of money going into managing post-op and acute pain in combination with rehab equipment."
The quicker a patient can get his pain under control, the faster he will recover and resume normal activity, Mr. Johnson added. And, get back to paying his taxes (as he laughs).
"Our role is providing the surgeon with what he wants, the patient with what they need and billing the insurance carrier for everything. After all, they are the ones with the money, he said.
Among the products are electrotherapy devices, a Marcaine infused ambulatory pump and a continuous cold therapy system.
The electrotherapy device sends an electrical current into the body through strategically placed electrodes. The electrical current acts as a barrier between the pain sensor and the brain.
"It follows the gate-control theory," said Mr. Johnson. "The gate opens pain to your brain. Once the electrode is attached to the part of the body that has the pain, it closes the gate to your brain. You have the pain, but you don't know it."
The device is used for lower back pain, post-surgical pain and even for strengthening muscles, he said.
The Marcaine infusion pump, used during and after surgery, allows a local anesthetic to be directed only to the affected area.
"Surgeons will fill up a disposable pump with Marcaine, a local anesthesia," said Mr. Johnson. "The Marcaine will infuse into the joint space and when it's empty you [the patient] pull it out and throw it away while at home."
The continuous cold therapy system is a portable unit that allows the patient to surround the affected area with water maintained at 36 (approximately) degrees and intermittent compression. The patients love this because it is immediate satisfaction and it significantly reduces swelling.
The idea behind the pain-management products, he said, is to make patients comfortable without exposing them to the potential side effects of excessive pain medications.
"These products are well-accepted in the medical industry," he said. "About 40 to 50 percent of the surgeons and medical professionals on the Central Coast use these modalties."
Advantus Medical does not market its products to the general public, only to physicians and other health professionals. The company receives referrals through direct marketing, word-of-mouth advertising and patients who want alternatives to traditional pain management.
With a background in biomechanics, physical therapy and marketing, Mr. Johnson founded Advantus Medical six years ago.
"Originally, I was asked by orthopedic surgeons if I could get specific products for their patients. "I did some research and quickly realized that there are so many technological advances in medicine that Santa Barbara surgeons do not have access to."
Mr. Johnson began attending seminars and trade shows to learn more about the latest medical technologies in hopes of bringing them back to the central coast.
"After a couple of years, we found a niche within the industry and settled on pain-management devices, rehab equipment and surgical implants." Over time, our product line has evolved into products and services that any orthopedic surgeon could use. We are viewed by the patient as an extension to the surgeons office.
Advantus Medical distributes products from a variety of manufacturers, including Biomet, Johnson and Johnson, Styker and DonJoy. All of which can be billed directly to the insurance carrier. Mr. Johnson said, almost 90 percent of all insurance companies will cover the products. It is a fight to get them to pay for anything, but we are very diligent in our collections process.
Headquartered in Santa Barbara, the company has offices in Texas, New Jersey, Florida, Washington and Alaska.
"We focus on smaller communities because they have been neglected with respect to medical products and the ease of access to these products," Mr. Johnson said. "Santa Barbara seems to be a little remote from L.A., and the big innovative medical companies don't send sales people to live and work in Santa Barbara." Its just not cost effective for them to do so. Therefore, we found our niche to offer anything and everything to our medical community.
Doctors can call Advantus Medical to order equipment and have it delivered to the hospital or the patient's home that same day.
This looks to be a very successful company in a time where health care and access to technology is becoming a must for all smaller communities. For more information on Advantus Medical, please visit their website at: www.advantusmedical.com.
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Founded in 1997
Advantus Medical International was established to provide medical equipment to local surgeons and their patients in the central California area. The need to expand was quickly realized and the vision evolved to define a niche within the orthopedic industry.
As of today, our distribution services range throughout the
US, China and Australia.
We are proud to work with some of the top manufactures of orthopedic devices in the world. Over the years, we have developed relationships with a wide variety of healthcare providers, surgery centers and insurance carriers.
Our strong managment team has enabled us to grow our territory, product lines, sales force and more. Our companies dedication to patient care combined with orthopedic technology has been the dominate
behind our success. The orthopedic industry is increasingly expanding and is expected to have
unprecedented growth during the next decade.
Advantus is poised to welcome the
challange and expand with the baby-
boomer generation.
Sincerely,
Barry Johnson President / CEO
Advantus Medical provides a comprehensive line of
Durable Medical Equipment - Pain Management Devices - Braces & Supports
throughout the U.S and Internationaly.
Advantus Medical International Products
"Companies working together to bring you the best in orthopedic patient care."
Advantus Medical Headquarters
104 W Anapamu Street Ste. A
Phone: 805-962-7100
Fax: 805-962-7101
Email: info_advantusmedical.com
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Copyright © 2009 Advantus Medical International
2009 Advantus Medical, Inc.
