I like the imagery @Arizona . As an anaesthetist the thought of a plastic surgeon covered in dust and working in suboptimal lighting and dangerous conditions is a funny one to me!

I'm sure you've heard the joke:

An anaesthetist sits in his economy class seat on the way home from a conference. Right after they are preparing to land and the seatbelt sign turns on a flight attendant comes out “Help! Help! Is there an anaesthetist onboard” The anaesthetist proudly stands up and says “I am” The flight attendant looks relieved and says “Oh good, a surgeon in first class needs his light adjusted”

@Shapeshifter Boom Boom!!

The joke is a new one on me, but I like it.

Put a smile on my dial.

@Shapeshifter I guess the issue with anecdotal evidence is that it’s an n of 1. I’ve had the opposite feedback about Novosorb from surgeons but to be fair they’d come through Adelaide which is the home of BTM. I guess like lots of things in the surgical world it’s kind of a ‘vibe’ although they would pretend it’s all evidence based… any surgeons here to stir? :)

Also Anecdotal, but I work closely with a vascular surgeon who uses a fair bit of the stuff, even though the trial for use in diabetic ulcers was abandoned. We see pretty good results in avoiding skin grafts or preparing the dermis for eventual grafting.

what does any of this mean? Who knows. So much depends on (surgeon and patient) expectations and relative merits of alternative therapies.

Clinical evidence (trials data) are the catalyst but sales will be the proof

For what its worth, I don't think PNV products are going to shoot the lights out of this industry, and become the next $COH. There is plenty of competition in the space. Best likely outcome is that a platform of products is developed with broadening indications and these sell really well.

is that what the plastic surgeon meant when he said don't invest? Maybe. Depends on your expectations and risk profile. But I think there's a good chance they will make some decent money and an above-average return.

@GazD @Aaronfzr completely agree anecdotal evidence must be taken in context of what it is and should definitely be weighted below good trial data. However for me this is a trusted source and is enough to swing me away from investing in PNV. After all the burden of proof to make the cut as an investment should be high for all of us as there are so many stocks to choose from and so few to choose. But for others who don't know this surgeon from a sack of potatoes it's difficult to contextualise this information which makes it less relevant. Like all the other surgeons I know this is someone who has litlle interest in investing and pays someone to do their investing for them. I would suggest there is a higher proportion of anaesthetists than surgeons on Strawman.

Just on the pitfalls of listening to anecdotal evidence let me share another experience of mine. Another highly trusted and good friend of mine is a senior radiologist in a Sydney radiology firm. Their Australian based company (a major one) was moving away from using Visage by Pro Medicus for contractual and cost reasons. This was enough to tip me away from investing in PME as I was already baulking on valuation. At the time the share price was $37. Siince then I've watched as they hoover up the US market.

It's a game of probabilities.

Confidence based medicine vs evidence based medicine