Product: Harvey Stirrups™

A member of the Reviews in Obstetrics & Gynecology editorial board reviewed the following devices. The views of the author are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Reviews in Obstetrics & Gynecology or MedReviews^®, LLC.

Companies can submit a product for review by e-mailing molson@medreviews.com.

• Design/Functionality Scale

  • 1 = Poor design; many deficits
  • 2 = Solid design; many deficits
  • 3 = Good design; few flaws
  • 4 = Excellent design; few flaws
  • 5 = Excellent design; flaws not apparent
• Innovation Scale

  • 1 = Nothing new
  • 2 = Small twist on standard technology
  • 3 = Major twist on standard technology
  • 4 = Significant new technology
  • 5 = Game changer
• Value Scale

  • 1 = Added cost with limited benefit
  • 2 = Added cost with some benefit
  • 3 = Added cost but significant benefit
  • 4 = Marginal added cost but significant benefit
  • 5 = Significant cost savings
• Overall Scale

  • 1 = Don’t bother
  • 2 = Niche product
  • 3 = Worth a try
  • 4 = Must try
  • 5 = Must have

Design/Functionality: 3

Innovation: 1.5

Value: 2

Overall Score: 2.5

Background

Medical stirrups are not cool. They do not catch our attention like a robot, a four-dimensional ultrasound machine, or some new fancy coagulation/cutting device. No, stirrups are not glamorous. We rarely think about them or study them and we certainly do not want to be in them. That said, for those of us in the business, we are just another office with old magazines without stirrups.

In the office setting, by far the most common are heel-style stirrups. Conversely, in the OR, these are probably the least common, with boot-style and candy cane stirrups overwhelmingly dominating the leg support choices. Although obvious practical differences between an office examination table and an OR table most likely account for the location-related device differences, theoretically at least, one style of stirrup is likely better suited for a given procedure than another. And, as more and more OR procedures are moved to the office setting, perhaps the stirrups should move as well. Dr. William Harvey thinks so and has designed the stirrups to that end.

Design/Functionality

Harvey Stirrups™ (William Harvey Medical Equipment, Honeoye Falls, NY) are essentially Allen boot-style stirrups that have been modified to fit into standard office examination tables and replace the factory-installed heel-style stirrups. There is a support rod for the stirrup that replaces the rod on the table stirrup and then a padded boot-style stirrup with hook-and-loop straps that slide easily onto the support rod. The company claims installation is simple and, in testing, it was very easy to make the switch on a Midmark 405 examination table. The stirrups are adjustable along the length of the support rod and retain the table’s built-in abduction/adduction range of adjustability. Also, the boot-style stirrups are generally more comfortable than heel stirrups if they are adjusted properly.

On the downside, the boot is welded to the attachment clamp and cannot be adjusted at the ankle. This reduces its use across different patients with limited ranges of motion. Also, because the support rod needs to be changed to accommodate the Harvey Stirrups, it is impractical to switch back and forth between stirrup styles. Thus, an office needs to commit an examination table to this stirrup only.

Design/Functionality Score: 3

Innovation

There really is nothing too innovative about the Harvey Stirrups other than nobody seems to have thought of this before. In that sense, it is a good idea but the technology is pretty standard.

Innovation Scale: 1.5

Value

$1595 is a lot to pay for stirrups. Because this is more expensive than most brand-new examination tables with heel stirrups, shelling out those kinds of dollars for an add-on seems a little excessive. However, if a given practice has an examination table that it commits to procedures only, the Harvey Stirrups would seem to be a reasonable investment.

Value Score: 2

Summary

Overall, the Harvey Stirrups is a very solid product for a niche market. At $1595 it seems impractical for the average gynecology practice, but would probably be a good investment for practices with a committed procedure room especially if intravenous conscious sedation is being used.

Overall Score: 2.5

Harvey Stirrups™ (William Harvey Medical Equipment, Honeoye Falls, NY). Photo courtesy of William Harvey Medical Equipment.