The average prices paid for surgical lights briefly jumped by 30% in May as more hospitals purchased highly configured and expensive systems, according to the Modern Healthcare/ECRI Institute Technology Price Index. But that increase is not expected to last.
The TPI index looks at monthly and yearly price data for about 30 supply and capital items purchased by hospitals and other healthcare providers, based on three-month rolling averages.
The average prices paid for surgical lights rose 31% to $25,209 in May on a month-to-month comparison, but fell back to an average of roughly $20,000 the next month. The costs of surgical lights range from $6,000 for low-end models that use a single-halogen lamp to $40,000 for the most expensive systems that may include LED lights and are wired for in-light cameras and have display arms for video monitors.
As hospitals perform more minimally invasive procedures they need more technically advanced light systems, said Kevin Lee, senior analyst for ECRI's Select program. Low-end lights are more likely to be used in emergency rooms and exam rooms.
The top manufacturers of surgical lights sold in the U.S. are Berchtold, which was acquired by Stryker in February for $172 million; Maquet, a subsidiary of Getinge Group; Steris and Skytron. Most surgical lights last about 10 years and most hospitals have only purchased LED surgical lights rather than halogen lights for the past five or six years, since the LED lights arrived on the U.S. market. About 95% of all surgical lights purchased in the U.S. this year are LED lights.
Follow Jaimy Lee on Twitter: @MHjlee
Send us a letter
Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.
