Disruptive Innovation in Surgery

For hundreds of years, surgical innovation has been characterized by long epochs of incremental improvements, punctuated by a handful of discrete innovations that have completely disrupted medical practice, for the significant benefit of patients. From sterile open surgery, non-invasive imaging, laparoscopic/robotic surgery, or flexible catheters; big changes in surgical practice often come suddenly and can massively shift physician practice, healthcare economics, and improve patient morbidity and mortality. During his talk, lifetime life science entrepreneur Dennis McWilliams, founding CEO of Apollo Endosurgery and Partner at Santé Ventures, will walk through the key ingredients of surgical innovation, and project into the future some of the technologies that could redefine the next epoch.