Bad back

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Pathology is what comes to mind. Any other surgical speciality requires you to stand. General surgery, plastics, urology, cardio, neuro, ob/gyn.. I can't even think of a time I saw a surgeon sitting in the OR.

How bad is your back? Can you stand in place for several hours or are you worried about bending over?
 
It is standing in one place for awhile that bothers it. If i am moving it is okay, I can handle an hour, hour and half okay but around 2 hours or so it starts hurting if i am standing in one place aka holding a retractor in a long surgery
 
It is standing in one place for awhile that bothers it. If i am moving it is okay, I can handle an hour, hour and half okay but around 2 hours or so it starts hurting if i am standing in one place aka holding a retractor in a long surgery

Without getting overly personal, is this a permanent problem or something rehab-able?
 
What surgery speciality allows you to do procedures sitting down? If not surgical what about a procedure oriented speciality? Thanks

All surgery is going to be robotic. Just wait about 50 years and you are good to go!

I'd say path is the only one you can do sitting. Maybe with a Heme-Path fellowship.
 
All surgery is going to be robotic. Just wait about 50 years and you are good to go!

I'd say path is the only one you can do sitting. Maybe with a Heme-Path fellowship.
If by robotic surgery you mean sky-net taking over and chopping us up, then yes.
 
Hand surgery.

But you have to endure an ortho residency first, which requires some serious lifting.
 
I saw some serious sitting on neurosurg under the scopes. Usually always started with 2-3 hours of standing while they opened the hood, however.
 
Not having much experience, most of what I've saw of urologists using the da Vinci robotics system involved the surgeons sitting down. That may make urology a possibility.
 
rad onc? i think there's some sitting there
 
Along the lines of facetguy's post - whether it's a fixable problem or not - have you tried getting better shoes? I bought some nicer shoes and got some inserts and it has made some of the longer cardiothoracic surgeries (6-7 hour) I've watched more tolerable.
 
Oral surgery in private practice- the surgeon I nannied for did a ton of wisdom teeth removals and he did them all sitting. The training might be harder- he was at a Level 1 trauma center and did a lot of facial reconstruction procedures before going into private practice.
 
Along the lines of facetguy's post - whether it's a fixable problem or not - have you tried getting better shoes? I bought some nicer shoes and got some inserts and it has made some of the longer cardiothoracic surgeries (6-7 hour) I've watched more tolerable.

Thanks for the ideas guys. It is not really anything thats fixable. I could have surgery but if i did that now it would be worse off.
 
Thanks for the ideas guys. It is not really anything thats fixable. I could have surgery but if i did that now it would be worse off.

I used to be a cop. Somebody rear ended my patrol car at 80 MPH. I herniated two discs in my lower back. I feel your pain, literally

I'm willing to bet you can find a way to do any specialty you want to do. Sometimes it just takes being honest with your attendings/trainers, getting creative, and working hard.

Good luck. Feel free to PM if you want to know some things that I have done to get around my abilities.
 
Agree with bowtie. Optho is sitting surgery, but I know a lot of surgery people who don't get the same satisfaction out of it compared to, say, being in an abdomen.
 
ENT

Tubes, tonsils, direct laryngoscopy, ear surgery...all sitting down
 
strengthen your back w deadlifts

Question:

I've been warned a lot about having proper technique with deadlifts. Is that something I could legitimately learn off of a youtube video or is it absolutely necessary to be taught by a trainer?


~Kalyx
 
Question:

I've been warned a lot about having proper technique with deadlifts. Is that something I could legitimately learn off of a youtube video or is it absolutely necessary to be taught by a trainer?


~Kalyx

check out the book "Starting Strength" by Mark Rippetoe, for a comprehensive intro to deadlifting or check out his youtube vids.
 
check out the book "Starting Strength" by Mark Rippetoe, for a comprehensive intro to deadlifting or check out his youtube vids.

Thanks! Will do.


~Kalyx
 
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