Jeff LaConte, Lead, VELYS Robotics & Digital Surgery, Global Strategic Marketing, DePuy Synthes, The Orthopaedics Company of Johnson & Johnson
Imagine having responsibility for the once-in-a-lifetime launch of a revolutionary surgical system for total knee arthroplasty that could change the game in orthopaedic surgery. Now imagine doing that in the midst of a pandemic, when a majority of surgeries are being postponed and surgical centers fight to stay in business.
Enter Jeff LaConte, who led the successful commercial launch of the VELYS Robotic-Assisted Solution, part of the VELYS Digital Surgery platform. VELYS Digital Surgery provides an evolving platform for leveraging data insights before, during, and after surgery. Jeff says, “As our world increasingly embraces new technology, surgeons and patients seek digital healthcare advancements and expect personalized, data-driven insights to inform care, speed, and efficiency throughout the patient care journey.”
As a veteran within the space of medical devices, Jeff’s career spans over 20 years in healthcare across multiple surgical specialties, including more than 15 years with Johnson & Johnson and a decade of experience in digital surgery. He’s led DePuy Synthes to both elevate the surgical experience, and also, find innovative solutions that replace in-person launch experiences.
As part of a Global Orthopaedic & MedTech Summit hosted by DePuy Synthes in April 2021, Jeff and his team created an immersive, 3D virtual platform intended to transport surgeons into the OR to interact with key opinion leaders and experience the cutting-edge technology of the new VELYS Robotic-Assisted Solution. The result was an overwhelming success and set a new high bar for all future virtual launches with 104,000 engagements and 30% traffic from return visitors.
This success also helped improve patient outcomes with data-driven insights for surgeons.
