Originally posted by Al Pacino
Can anyone tell me what the bread-and-butter surgeries for a general (i.e non-fellowship trained) orthopedic surgeon is?
Second, I'm really interested in arthroscopy of joints. I'm not particularly interested in hip replacements or stuff of that nature. Is it possible to make a living just doing minimally invasive surgeries like scopes as an orthopod?
Basic Arthroscopy can be performed by any orthopod out of residency. Complex arthroscopy, (ie hips, elbows wrists) usually require fellowships. A sports fellowship is not necessarily required just to learn arthroscopy. However, to perform complex labral, ligamentous, and cuff repairs, a fellowship wouldn't hurt just for practice. Most general orthopods can't survive only on scopes. Most orthopeds that aren't fellowship trained must perform primary total joints to survive. Also some of them find a niche in a practice (ie the sports guy or the foot ankle guy).
Remember, fellowships are not an absolute. It all depends on how well you were trained in residency. Many orthopedist feel comfortable perfoming some fellowship level types surgeries, however due to liability and competition, they do not perform these surgeries. A rather short list on what the average general orthopedic surgeon performs is below.
1. Acromioplasties
2. Rotator cuff repairs
3. Basic shoulder and knee scopes
4. Standard ACL's
5. Primary total joints; minor revisions
6. Basic Orthopedic trauma (non-complex femurs, tibia, ankles, wrists, ets) Rarely pelvic trauma and spine
7. Basic hand surgery (fractures, tendon lacs, carpal tunnel, DeQuervan's, etc)
9. Basic Foot and ankle (fractures, bunions, claw toes, PT dysfunction, Tendon lacs)
10. Basic Pediactrics
There are numerous others, but I'll be here all night.