Today, I arrived at 7 to observe a morning of surgeries with Dr. Lawton, a surgeon focusing on knee, hip, and elbow problems. He told me that about 50% of orthopedic surgeries are in the knee, because knees take more impact on a daily basis than any other joint. That morning, I met the patients, then I watched him perform different knee and shoulder procedures. He made surgery really interesting, as he explained how the procedure worked, then talked med through it step by step as he performed it. He also has a good taste in music.
In the afternoon, I followed a PA in the clinic and learned about wrist, elbow, and hand injuries. By far, the most common injury we saw was medial nerve compression, or carpal tunnel syndrome. This usually requires a surgical fix- a very simple one which can be done arthroscopically. In the procedure, the surgeon makes a small incision across the wrist, cuts through the carpal ligament that is causing pressure on the nerve, then they suture the tissue and the skin closed. The procedure can be done with the patient awake, too. If caught early enough, the procedure could relieve all carpal tunnel symptoms.
In the afternoon, I followed a PA in the clinic and learned about wrist, elbow, and hand injuries. By far, the most common injury we saw was medial nerve compression, or carpal tunnel syndrome. This usually requires a surgical fix- a very simple one which can be done arthroscopically. In the procedure, the surgeon makes a small incision across the wrist, cuts through the carpal ligament that is causing pressure on the nerve, then they suture the tissue and the skin closed. The procedure can be done with the patient awake, too. If caught early enough, the procedure could relieve all carpal tunnel symptoms.