Client Goal

Launch an inaugural advisory panel for a specialized cardiac surgery device platform to gather expert customer input that could both increase near-term adoption and inform next-generation development.

Background

The client was balancing two priorities at once: how to increase adoption of an existing device in the near term while also shaping the longer-term product roadmap. Leadership needed a structured forum with experienced surgeon-users to challenge assumptions, surface the real barriers to use, and clarify where to focus next. 

Decision at Stake
Would wider adoption depend primarily on product changes, or on a broader strategy that included training, proctoring, and simulator-based capability building? And which development paths were worth advancing versus deprioritizing?

What We Did
The AND Group helped design and run the inaugural advisory panel as part of a broader CAB effort. Our work included thought partnership on objectives, recruitment of qualified participants, pre-meeting interviews, meeting planning, moderation support, and internal and external report-out to guide follow-through. 

What Changed

The panel shifted the client’s thinking in two important ways. First, it made clear that increasing adoption was as much a training and behavior-change opportunity as a product opportunity. Participants strongly supported on-pump “training wheels,” simulator-based learning, and starting with academic institutions, residents, and proctoring pathways to reduce the learning curve. 
 

Second, the work did not end as a one-time meeting. It established the foundation for an ongoing advisory process, including continued panel development, rebalanced recruitment, benchtop labs, in-field visits, animal labs, and a next large-group meeting already planned. The discussion also helped clarify which product-development paths were worth pursuing and reinforced that any design changes should not increase aortic manipulation, bleeding, or the risk of retained material.