Securing the Operating Room Floor: Will Crawford on Ergonomics, Surgical Workflows, and Disrupting OR Safety
In a recent episode of Industry Ignited, host Dr. Leanne Aguilar sat down with Will Crawford, the CEO and co-founder of Smart Step Surgical. Drawing from over a decade of experience in spine implants and surgical sales, Crawford discussed the hidden friction points in operating rooms, the transition from product distribution to med-tech entrepreneurship, and how the innovative Surgy Step platform is redefining surgical safety, ergonomics, and team collaboration.
Systemic Industry Challenge: The Hidden Friction Points of the Operating Room
Healthcare professionals operating in modern surgical environments are often conditioned to overlook everyday workflow inefficiencies because patient care demands absolute urgency. However, these small friction points accumulate into significant physical and operational hazards.
- The Problem with Stacked Step Stools: Operating tables adjust in only one direction, yet multidisciplinary surgical teams feature members of varying heights. To compensate, staff routinely stack traditional 5-inch stainless steel step stools vertically and side-by-side to accommodate foot pedals.
- Contamination Risks and Delays: Because items below mid-thigh are considered non-sterile, sterile team members cannot adjust these steps themselves. They must rely on a circulating nurse or industry representative to move and stack mixed-match stools, introducing contamination risks by brushing against sterile drapes.
- Financial and Clinical Impact: Accidental dislodging of foot pedals requires procedures to pause while non-sterile personnel crawl under the table to reset them. With surgical time costing hundreds of dollars per minute, these interruptions introduce critical delays and high expenses.
Technical Breakdown: Traditional Stacked Stools vs. The Surgy Step Platform
Traditional step stools are passive, uncoordinated, and static tools that create ergonomic compromises and physical hazards. Smart Step Surgical approached the problem by introducing a motorized, user-driven system designed explicitly around the needs of the entire operating team.
| Traditional Stacked Step Stools | The Surgy Step Platform |
| Ergonomics: Rigid 5-inch vertical increments force surgeons to either shrug their shoulders or hunch over awkwardly. | Motorized Adjustability: Battery-powered and user-actuated via a push-button foot control, expanding smoothly from 5 inches up to almost 13 inches. |
| Mobility & Safety: Requires non-sterile personnel to manually lift and move heavy, mismatched stools, creating tripping hazards. | Spring-Loaded Mobility: Features spring-loaded wheels that roll freely when non-weight-bearing (like a skateboard) and instantly lock securely under a 15-pound axial load. |
| Foot Pedal Chaos: Pedals easily get kicked off the platform, forcing unexpected stoppages in the middle of critical procedures. | Integrated Accessories: Includes anti-fatigue low-durometer silicone mats and modular pedal wings that contain foot pedals and prevent accidental dislodgement. |
Market Adoption & Scalability: Overcoming Med-Tech Barriers
Bringing a novel capital equipment solution to market involves navigating complex healthcare procurement systems. Crawford noted that sales cycles can stretch well over a year due to extensive vendor approvals, legal reviews, and evaluation processes. Despite these hurdles, Smart Step Surgical has successfully deployed trials and established vendor status across major states—including New York, Florida, California, Texas, Montana, and Utah—while building initial international distribution channels in Mexico, Canada, the UK, and Australia. The overarching commercial goal is moving past replacement models to have the Surgy Step natively outfitted in newly constructed operating rooms as an expected industry standard.
Key Takeaways from the Interview
- Firsthand Observation Drives Innovation: Years of working in operating rooms allowed Crawford to recognize recurring inefficiencies that clinical staff had simply grown accustomed to overlooking.
- The Reality of Large Med-Tech: Major medical device companies often favor scalable commercial products over organic internal development, pushing entrepreneurs to prove market traction before acquisition.
- A Team-Wide Solution: The Surgy Step platform improves workflows not just for surgeons, but for surgical techs and circulating nurses who frequently manage equipment positioning.
- Bootstrapping Realities: Transitioning from prototype to a commercialized product requires strict budget discipline, intentional delay of half-baked ideas, and a deep understanding of quality management systems (QMS).
- Resilience Through Community: Learning from other med-tech entrepreneurs helps founders understand that difficult paths and delayed timelines are normal parts of the startup journey.
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