What happens when a world-class robotic surgeon becomes a founder? In this episode, Dr. John Porterfield of Informed Surgical shares how his experiences in the OR and robotic surgery inspired a new way to measure surgical quality.
He explains why patient outcomes—not volume or reputation—should drive referrals, and how data transparency can change healthcare incentives. A grounded conversation for medtech executives rethinking the future of value-based surgery.
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 – From Surgeon to Medtech Founder: The Informed Story
03:15 – Robotic Surgery Innovation and Early Adoption at UAB
04:10 – Leadership and Ironman Lessons in Surgical Discipline
08:37 – From Rural Roots to Data-Driven Healthcare
10:20 – Mentorship, Family, and Sustainable Surgical Careers
13:07 – Founding Informed Surgical with Intuitive’s Sal Brogna
17:00 – How Data and AI Are Redefining Surgical Quality
21:17 – Inside ProCendi.com: Building Patient Access Through Data
27:22 – The Informed Algorithm: Risk Adjustment and Surgical Outcomes
46:17 – Innovation Ethics: What Keeps a Surgeon-Founder Up at Night
Connect with Dr. John Porterfield and Informed Surgical:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-porterfield/
Website: https://informedsurgical.com/
Alternatively, website for finding quality surgeons in your area: https://procendi.com/
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