FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will it take for my instruments to arrive?

Most general instruments and high-demand specialty instruments are in stock for immediate delivery. Some low-demand specialty instruments are made to order, which typically takes anywhere from 2-12 weeks, and in rare cases longer. For standard ground orders, please allow 1-2 days for processing time and an additional 3-5 business days for shipping, depending on your shipping address. If you have an urgent need, please ensure to place your order with expedited shipping service (several options are available online including next day, second day or three day options for both UPS and FedEx). Orders with expedited shipping service are processed and shipped the same day. You will be notified if an item placed under expedited service is not available for immediate delivery.

How do I check if an instrument is in stock?

Please refer to product pages on the website for in stock status. In stock products will have an "IN STOCK" message beneath the item number. Please note that stock availablity may change in real time and is subject to prior sale and outbound inspection protocols. While rare, this means that an item that is represented as in stock may not actually be available from stock to fulfill your order. Items show as in stock when any quantity (one or greater) is available for sale. For large quantities or if you must be certain an item is in stock in the quantity you need, please contact our customer service team to confirm before placing your order.

Where are your instruments made?

The vast majority of Novo Surgical instruments are forged and/or finished in a town in Southwest Germany called Tuttlingen, which is the major global hub for surgical instrument manufacture. The rest of our instruments are made at our production facilities in other countries across the Americas, Europe and Asia. Novo Surgical, including all its production faciliites, is ISO-13485 (Quality Management Systems for Medical Devices) certified, which is the gold standard in internatinonal quality assurance for medical device manufacturing. For details regarding this certification, please contact our customer service team.

Do you have direct sales representative coverage in my local market?

Novo Surgical has sales representatives across the country that are able to serve most markets in person. Please check our Find Your Rep page to view the latest sales representative information. In the case we don't have representation in your market, please contact our corporate office where our customer service team can help you with product, pricing and delivery information.

Do you offer custom instrument design and manufacture services?

Yes, we actually specialize in the manufacture of hard-to-find, discontinued or custom instruments. Please contact one of our sales representatives or a member of our customer service team and provide your requirements. The best case scenario is to provide a sample instrument that you would like replicated; in most cases we would need the instrument for approximately four weeks so that our product team can review the item and ensure it is within our capability to produce. A sample always ensures we can match your requirement exactly. We understand, however, that a sample is not always available, so the next best thing is to provide as much information as you can provide. This includes item part numbers, manufacturer names, photos, illustrations and detailed specifications or measurements.

Once we receive your requirements, we will review and confirm whether or not we can produce the item and provide a quote. If the item is a simple modification of an existing item we have available, there is no technical drawing required and we can put the item into production immediately. If the item is substantially different from any existing product we provide, someone from our engineering team may produce a technical drawing, which we will then send to you for sign off.

What are the terms of your instrument warranty?

Please see our Warranty page for our complete warranty policy. In short, we offer a lifetime guarantee on our products which covers everything except maintenance related to routine wear-and-tear (e.g. sharpening of scissors or punches) and damage caused by improper maintenance or misuse. To file a warranty claim, please contact one of our sales or customer service representatives. They will provide you with a form to complete along with your return. All instruments returned under a warranty claim are reviewed by one of our technicians to determine eligibility under the warranty. Completing a form does not necessarily mean that your item will be covered under warranty. In most cases, we will need the item returned for physical evaluation prior to a warranty action being taken.

What type of surface finish do your instruments have?

The vast majority of our instrument patterns come in a satin, or dull, finish, which minimizes the glare that may distract surgeons and hinder visibility under operating room lights. This is the standard finish of most instrumentation used in operating rooms today. However, our stock patterns of certain instruments come in alternate finishes, including chrome (highly-polished), titanium (mostly for lighter weight microsurgical instruments), insulated (blue nylon coated for electrosurgery), ebonized (black coated for laser surgery), and ceramic coated (titanium nitride coating for added durability).

Do your instruments ship sterile?

Novo Surgical instruments do not ship sterile and should always be cleaned and sterilized prior to use, as is the case with most operating room grade instrumentation. There are a handful of exceptions to this including single use items such as knife blades and the instrument tips in our reposable laparoscopic systems, which do come in single use sterile packets. All such products are clearly labeled as sterile.

Do you offer varying grades of surgical instruments?

Novo Surgical offers only a single grade of premium, operating room grade reusable instruments as part of its standard stock offering. We do not offer an economy, disposable or floor grade line of instrumentation. However, in cases of large volume requirements, we may be able to accommodate such requests. Please contact our customer service team with your requirements for further information.

Where can I find a copy of your Instructions for Use (IFU)?

Please contact our customer service team for a copy of our IFU for the product line you are interested in.

Do you offer any discounts?

We are contracted with major national Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs). Your facility may have access to such contracted pricing by virtue of your membership in a GPO. If you are aware of any such memberships, please contact our customer service team and they can activate your online account so you have access to contracted price points online. Alternatively, feel free to contact us if you are unaware of your affiliations and we would be happy to try to look them up for you.