Listen "332. Spine: Robert Isaacs, M.D of TrackX Explains Why Real-Time Instrument Tracking is Needed in Spine Surgery"
Episode Synopsis
In this episode, host Omar M. Khateeb sits down with Robert Isaacs, M.D. CEO & Founder at TrackX Technology, a Duke neurosurgeon and serial entrepreneur. They dive into his latest venture: a platform that provides live imaging for surgeons without the dangerous radiation.We uncover TrackX's "secret sauce" for instantaneous registration, the real-world data slashing radiation and OR time, and the simple design winning over surgeons. Get an honest look at surgical innovation and how TrackX is poised to become the essential navigation tool for the booming outpatient market.Episode Breakdown0:00 – The future of spine surgery: live fluoroscopy without radiation 0:50 – Welcome back to the MedTech Podcast with Omar Khateeb 1:20 – Meet Robert Isaacs, M.D., founder of TrackX Technology and pioneer in spine innovation 2:30 – From Connecticut to Baylor and Duke: how Dr. Isaacs found his calling in spine 4:30 – Early robotics research: moving machines through thought 6:00 – Mentors and the moment that changed his career path 7:30 – From surgeon to entrepreneur: building Bandini and LessRay 9:00 – How a simple software tweak reduced radiation by 95% 10:30 – The evolution from LessRay to TrackX Technology, 12:00 – How TrackX Technology delivers live fluoroscopy without constant X-rays 13:30 – Snap technology: digitizing any surgical tool in seconds 15:00 – Why simplicity and speed drive surgeon adoption 17:30 – Competing with robotics and navigation: cost and capital freedom 19:00 – Why hospitals and surgeons love the TrackX model 21:30 – The 80% of surgeons not using robots and how TrackX is winning them over 23:00 – Commercial traction: thousands of cases and growing revenue 25:00 – The outpatient and ASC opportunity in spine surgery 27:30 – Why TrackX Technology is the perfect fit for 1–2 level lumbar fusions 30:00 – Broad FDA clearance: scaling across orthopedic and spine specialties 32:00 – Beyond spine: future expansion into trauma and orthopedics 34:00 – The research mindset: randomized control trials and radiation data 36:00 – Proven outcomes: 70–90% radiation reduction across procedures 37:30 – Surgeon trust and real-time accuracy 39:00 – Conferences and where to meet the TrackX team 40:00 – The future of surgical navigation and radiation-free imaging 41:30 – Lessons from innovation: simplicity, safety, and surgeon feedback 42:00 – Outro: subscribe, share, and join the MedTech communityAre you a medtech CEO in need of some marketing help attracting investors, growing sales pipeline, and more? Go to GrowMyMedtech.com to book time for a free analysis.Subscribe to our Youtube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGpL_rGt1LQJwinMq_K7gfgSubscribe to our LinkedIn Newsletterhttps://www.stateofmedtechpodcast.com/Follow The State of MedTech onLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/thestateofmedtechInstagram https://www.instagram.com/stateofmedtech/TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@stateofmedtechX https://twitter.com/StateofMedTechFacebook https://www.facebook.com/stateofmedtech/Follow Omar M. Khateeb onLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/okhateeb/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/omar.m.khateeb/TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@omarkhateebofficialX https://twitter.com/OmarMKhateebFacebook https://www.facebook.com/OmarMKhateeb/#MedTech #SpineSurgery #SurgicalInnovation #NavigationTechnology #TrackX
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