Best Trauma Surgeons Near Me

What is trauma surgery?

Trauma surgery is a surgical specialty that focuses on treating and managing life-threatening injuries caused by impact forces. There are numerous causes of impact forces, but some common ones are road accidents, falls, sports and crush injuries, and gunshot or stabbing wounds.

Who is a trauma surgeon?

Trauma surgeons, also known as acute care and critical care surgeons, undertake emergency surgery on patients who have suffered a severe injury or disease. Trauma surgery requires a thorough understanding of surgical procedures and how to treat various injuries.

Trauma surgeons may work as part of a larger team of specialized surgeons, such as:

• Orthopedic surgeons specializing in musculoskeletal injuries
• Vascular surgeons specializing in arteries, veins, and other vessels
• Maxillofacial surgeons specializing in facial injuries
• Cardiothoracic surgeons specializing in the heart and thoracic organs
• Plastic surgeons specializing in body area reconstruction following
• Neurosurgeons specializing in brain and nervous system traumas

Education and training of trauma surgeons

Surgeons have extensive education and training to practice in their chosen fields. They obtain a bachelor's degree before enrolling in medical school for four years. General surgeons complete five years of surgical residency training. Then, surgeons who choose to specialize complete the same five-year residency, followed by extra years of training in the area of specialization. 

Typically, trauma surgery fellowships last one to two years. Trauma surgeons often complete a critical care fellowship. They take the board certifications to become certified in surgical critical care.

What conditions does a trauma surgeon treat?

Trauma surgeons can diagnose and treat any trauma caused by injuries or illnesses. They quickly assess a person's condition and determine what type of surgery, if any, is required. 

A trauma surgeon may treat the following conditions: 

• Blunt or penetrating trauma

Blunt trauma is any injury caused by a powerful impact. Motor vehicle accidents, falls, and attacks are common examples. Penetrating trauma is caused by an item piercing the skin and other tissues, such as gunshot wounds, stab wounds, and farm equipment injuries. 

• Burns

Severe burns, such as thermal burns, chemical burns, frostbite, and inhalation injury burns, may necessitate trauma surgery. Treatment options include emergency surgery, skin excision, and skin grafting treatments. 

• Acute care and emergencies in general surgery

People occasionally experience unanticipated medical emergencies that necessitate emergency surgical intervention. Trauma surgeons can treat appendicitis, diverticulitis, cholecystitis, a perforated bowel, a perforated ulcer, abdominal abscesses, incarcerated hernias, and intestinal blockages.

• Critical care surgical conditions

Trauma surgeons also provide critical surgical care to patients already in the hospital for another surgery or procedure. It includes people suffering from sepsis, respiratory failure, multi-organ failure, or coagulopathy.

If a patient goes to the emergency room with any of these critical injuries or ailments, a trauma surgeon will assess the medical condition and choose the best course of treatment for them. Sometimes this involves moving into emergency surgery. 

Treatment procedures used by a trauma surgeon vary based on the patient's condition, but some common ones include exploratory laparotomy, emergency thoracotomy, resuscitation, and chest wall stabilization.

A trauma surgeon will continue to work with the patient as they recover or transfer their care to another doctor or surgeon after addressing their emergency.

What is post-traumatic stress disorder?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a mental health illness, occurs in patients who have experienced or seen a horrific incident. People with PTSD often find coping and adjusting to the incident or trauma challenging. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, intense anxiety, and uncontrolled thoughts about the incident.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be triggered by various events, including but not limited to violent personal assaults, natural or man-made disasters, accidents, combat, and other forms of violence.

How to find the best trauma surgeon near you?

If you are looking for a trauma surgeon in your vicinity, visit the Zocdoc website and choose from a list of highly-rated trauma surgeons. Zocdoc is the most reliable and easy-to-use platform that helps you find the right practitioner. Using the search bar, you can enter which specialist you want to see, the condition you need treatment for, or the procedure you must undergo. Zocdoc will provide a list of doctors who can meet your requirements. 

You can use advanced search filter options such as location, date, time of appointment, distance from your area, availability of doctors, the doctor's hospital affiliation, etc. You can also choose your current medical insurance from the drop-down menu on the website to save some money on procedures and bills. The website will give you a list of the trauma surgeons who accept your insurance. 

You can review the list by going through each provider's bio, which has information on their expertise and training, years of experience, certifications, licenses, and accomplishments in their field. You can also read reviews from verified patients to make an informed choice. Once you have decided on the provider, you can schedule an in-person visit or an online appointment facilitated via video call.

All bookings on Zocdoc are simple, secure, and free! 

Post-traumatic stress disorder statistics

According to data from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, many people who experience a traumatic event will not necessarily develop PTSD. However, PTSD is likely to affect around 6 out of every 100 persons (or 6% of the. population) at some point in their lives. 

Whereas, in any given year, approximately 5 out of every 100 adults (or 5%) in the country have PTSD. About 13 million people were diagnosed with PTSD in 2020.

Women are more prone than men to suffer PTSD. It affects around 8 out of every 100 women (or 8%) and 4 out of every 100 males (or 4%). This is also due to the types of traumatic events women are more likely to suffer than men.

The source also states that veterans are more prone than civilians to suffer from PTSD. Veterans who have been to a combat zone are also more prone to PTSD than those who have not deployed.

Sources

WebMD

Verywell Health

News Medical Life Sciences

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

The content herein is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Medical information changes constantly, and therefore the content on this website should not be assumed to be current, complete or exhaustive. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 9-1-1 immediately.