As the demands on surgical care evolve, anaesthesia technologies must rise to meet the challenge. In this exclusive interview with MedTech Spectrum, Shalin Patel, CEO of Dräger – Asia Pacific, unpacks how Dräger is shaping the future of anaesthesia with precision-driven ventilators, eco-conscious practices, and intelligent digital platforms designed to enhance safety, efficiency, and patient recovery across healthcare systems.
With evolving patient demographics and complex surgical cases, how does Dräger adapt its ventilation technologies to meet the changing needs in general anaesthesia practices?
Recent clinical research highlights that up to 30% of surgical patients experience postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs), even in those with healthy lungs. This is because mechanical ventilation during general anaesthesia can temporarily impair lung function. At Dräger, we recognize this challenge and have developed anaesthesia machines equipped with electrically piston-driven ventilators that deliver highly precise tidal volumes—ensuring ICU-level ventilation quality in the operating room.
Our advanced ventilation technologies continuously monitor the patient’s lung response in real time, enabling medical professionals to apply individualized, lung-protective ventilation strategies. This reduces the risk of PPCs and enhances patient recovery. At the same time, our intuitive user interface and real-time monitoring features allow anaesthesiologist to make quick adjustments with confidence.
By combining precision, safety, and ease of use, we empower healthcare providers with technology that not only enhances surgical outcomes but also improves the overall anaesthesia experience—helping them focus on what matters most: patient care.
What are the biggest barriers to widespread adoption of low-flow anaesthesia, and how is Dräger helping healthcare systems overcome them?
Low-flow anaesthesia is a technique that reduces the amount of anaesthetic gases used during surgery, minimizing waste and environmental impact while maintaining effective anaesthesia levels. This approach benefits surgeons and patients by ensuring precise control over anaesthesia delivery, reducing exposure to excess gases, and improving patient safety and recovery outcomes.
Despite its advantages, the adoption of low-flow anaesthesia faces barriers such as concerns about equipment reliability and accuracy, potential risks of inadequate anaesthetic delivery, the need for specialized training, and the initial investment in advanced technology.
Dräger is helping healthcare systems overcome these obstacles by offering anaesthesia machines equipped with precise control and monitoring capabilities. These machines ensure reliable delivery of anaesthetic gases at low flows. Dräger's intuitive user interfaces and advanced safety features help reduce the learning curve for medical professionals. Additionally, Dräger demonstrates long-term cost savings through efficient gas usage and enhanced patient outcomes, making low-flow anaesthesia an attractive option for healthcare facilities looking to transition to this practice.
What is Dräger’s vision for integrating digital tools into anaesthesia workflows, and how do these technologies future-proof healthcare operations?
In today's world, digital tools and interventions have become integral to our daily lives, shaping how we interact, work, and make decisions. Imagine if we overlooked these advancements in critical areas like hospital operations. At Dräger, our vision is to integrate digital solutions seamlessly into healthcare, reinforcing our guiding philosophy of Technology for Life.
Our anaesthesia workstations are designed with advanced digital tools that empower clinicians with real-time insights, automation, and data-driven decision-making. Dräger Connect, our cloud-enabled digital platform, provides valuable insights through data analytics and digital services, enhancing efficiency and cost-effectiveness in operating rooms. Additionally, the SmartPilot View illustrates intricate drug interactions and employs pharmacodynamic modeling to predict anaesthetic effects, transforming device data into comprehensive visual insights for accurate, patient-specific drug titration.
These technologies facilitate seamless device communication and resource optimization, enabling healthcare providers to adapt quickly to evolving patient needs and surgical complexities. More importantly, they future-proof operations, ensuring hospitals can continuously maintain the highest standards of safety, precision, and efficiency.
At Dräger, we are committed to driving digital transformation in medical technology—because staying relevant in an ever-changing healthcare landscape is not just about innovation, but about ensuring better patient outcomes, supporting clinicians, and advancing the future of anaesthesia care.
As the healthcare industry shifts towards sustainability, what role does Dräger play in driving green anaesthesia adoption?
Sustainability is far more than a buzzword or marketing trend; it represents our commitment to leaving a better world for future generations. At Dräger, we embrace this responsibility by playing a pivotal role in advancing green anaesthesia adoption within the healthcare industry. Anaesthetic gases contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, but our advanced anaesthesia machines are engineered to operate efficiently with low-flow and minimal-flow techniques. By optimizing gas consumption and enhancing real-time monitoring, we enable precise anaesthetic delivery that minimizes waste without compromising patient care.
Beyond technology, we actively support healthcare providers in transitioning to sustainable practices through education, training, and data-driven insights. We demonstrate how eco-friendly anaesthesia solutions not only reduce environmental impact but also drive long-term cost savings—creating a win-win for hospitals and the planet.
At Dräger, we are committed to driving real, lasting change. Through innovation, education, and partnership, we ensure that sustainability is deeply integrated into the future of medical care—because protecting lives also means protecting the world we live in.
