Coolest parts of ortho

[MilesDavisTheDoctor]

This is mainly for residents or attendings but also maybe medical students who are applying to ortho. What do you think are the coolest parts of the field as far as procedures or anything else? I'm an incoming M1 pretty interested in ortho but I'm curious about what other people like so much about it to see if there is some stuff I might be missing.

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[DoctwoB]

Bones. Hammers. Nails. Screws. Plates. Drills. Saws. And ancef.

 

[Apollyon]

Bones. Hammers. Nails. Screws. Plates. Drills. Saws. And ancef.

What is the heart, to an ortho doc? " A duplex diaphragm positive displacement pump, which pushes Ancef to the bones."

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

The ability to restore function.
See my ama thread for more.

 

[DNC127]

the people in ortho

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

Being able to fix problems instead of simply managing them

 

[numberwunn]

Similar to above.

1) we get victories and can really restore quality of life

2) ortho is the specialty that most often passes the "beer" test (would I go and have a beer with them? )

3) cool procedures

 

[DrOrthoSpineMD]

Similar to above.

1) we get victories and can really restore quality of life

2) ortho is the specialty that most often passes the "beer" test (would I go and have a beer with them? )

3) cool procedures

POD 0 Walking is something that never gets old

 

[MilesDavisTheDoctor]

POD 0 Walking is something that never gets old

What does this mean?

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

What does this mean?

Patients up and walking the same day they have surgery. Some patients with hip replacements are up and walking within a few hours.

 

[MilesDavisTheDoctor]

What surgery do you do that you feel like has the biggest positive impact on patients?

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

I am only a PG1, but I would imagine ANY fracture since...you know...they had a broken bone.

Elective I would say probably hip replacement.

 

[DarkHorizon]

What surgery do you do that you feel like has the biggest positive impact on patients?

Fixing a long bone bone fracture and make them weight bearing as tolerated. Or THA for femoral neck fracture for active patients. Immediate difference.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

The creativity required for complex fracture repair in ortho trauma is right up at the top of my "coolest things in medicine" list. And I say that as someone who ultimately decided to go into a different surgical field.

 

[slowthai]

The creativity required for complex fracture repair in ortho trauma is right up at the top of my "coolest things in medicine" list. And I say that as someone who ultimately decided to go into a different surgical field.

Honestly, that's what draws me to the idea of doing trauma, but that creativity = variability in outcomes, and that doesn't sound so great, lol. It seems way more intellectually stimulating than joints, but joints seems to have a certain level of predictability and lends itself to hyper-efficiency, which is attractive as well. Plus the lifestyle's definitely better, lol.

 

[MilesDavisTheDoctor]

How exactly is creativity involved in complex fracture repair? I'm a med student who doesn't know anything.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

How exactly is creativity involved in complex fracture repair? I'm a med student who doesn't know anything.

There isn’t a recipe book with how to get your reduction and fixation. You have to get creative with your technique, your approach, etc. As a med student it was really interesting to watch how the traumatologists adapted to different scenarios for seemingly similar fracture patterns. What worked for one fracture frequently wouldn’t work for another.

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

How exactly is creativity involved in complex fracture repair? I'm a med student who doesn't know anything.

Think of it this way. Someone tells you to make a cake. That’s your ultimate goal. But it depends on the people who will be eating the cake— what do they like? Are they allergic to anything? Do they care about calories? How about ingredients? Choose whatever you want. It has to be a “cake” but what will it look like? How many layers? What kind of sponge? Mousse? Filling? Etc etc.
That’s what it is like when you’re fixing fractures in specific patient with a specific pattern and a specific list of comorbidities, wants and needs.

 

[numberwunn]

Think of it this way. Someone tells you to make a cake. That’s your ultimate goal. But it depends on the people who will be eating the cake— what do they like? Are they allergic to anything? Do they care about calories? How about ingredients? Choose whatever you want. It has to be a “cake” but what will it look like? How many layers? What kind of sponge? Mousse? Filling? Etc etc.
That’s what it is like when you’re fixing fractures in specific patient with a specific pattern and a specific list of comorbidities, wants and needs.

I agree with everything above ... but a cake analogy? Really? Not sports or (maybe) woodworking? How un-ortho!

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

I agree with everything above ... but a cake analogy? Really? Not sports or (maybe) woodworking? How un-ortho!

Surgery is much more like cooking than it is woodwork or sports. Every case is a “recipe,” and the surgeon is the chef. A master chef knows the recipe (the basics of how a case should be done) but can tweak things as he goes, add a little of this, a little of that, to make it perfect and unique.