What do trauma surgeons do on a day-to-day basis? What are the finest places to practise?

Topics covered:

• Trauma
• Emotional Trauma Symptoms
• Physical Trauma Symptoms
• Trauma vs Complex Trauma
• Who is a Trauma Surgeon?
• What Kinds of Injuries Does a Trauma Surgeon Treat?
• Essential Qualification of a Trauma Surgeon 
• How to become a Trauma Surgeon? 
• Where do trauma surgeons work?
• Trauma Surgeon duties and responsibilities
• Basic Salary of a Trauma surgeon 

Introduction

Perhaps none of the occupations in medicine are more tough or stressful than that of a trauma surgeon. These surgeons deal with terrible scenarios daily! They treat patients suffering from a variety of injuries and illnesses. 

Generally, trauma surgeons operate in hospital emergency rooms. Patients with severe and life-threatening injuries, including blunt-force trauma and deep wounds, benefit from their aid.

If you are thinking about becoming a trauma surgeon or you’re just interested in this profession, continue reading! The Job Description: Trauma Surgeon blog will walk you through the amazing aspects of this diverse profession.

Let’s start. Shall we?

Trauma

 In case you didn’t know, trauma is the Greek word for “wound”!

The term “trauma” might be misleading. There are two primary definitions of trauma. The first is that it refers to a stressful or upsetting psychological event. 

Trauma meaning often refers to a physical injury resulting in wounds, fractured bones, or damage to internal organs.

People who have been physically harmed often have psychological problems due to the shock of the sudden damage.

Traumatic injuries are highly harmful because they can cause the body to fall into shock. Furthermore, essential organs can stop working. A trauma doctor comes in to suffocate the injury and take immediate action to fix it.

Emotional Trauma Symptoms

One of the most usual ways that trauma occurs is through emotion. The following are some of the most common emotional symptoms of trauma:

• Anger
• Sadness
• Denial
• Emotional Breakdown 

Trauma victims may turn their excessive feelings toward other people, such as friends or family members. One of the reasons that trauma is difficult for loved ones is this. 

It’s challenging to assist someone who pushes you away. But understanding the emotional symptoms that follow a traumatic experience might make the process go more smoothly.

Physical Trauma Symptoms

Trauma can appear both physically and emotionally. The following are the most common physical symptoms of trauma:

• Anxiety 
• Panic Attacks
• Fatigue
• Lethargy 
• Paleness
• Racing Heartbeat
• Poor Concentration 

Physical symptoms of trauma can be just as real and frightening as those of physical damage or sickness. Therefore it’s essential to keep stress levels under control following a traumatic experience.

Trauma vs Complex Trauma

Single incident trauma is what we call trauma that occurs as a result of a single occurrence. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is frequently linked to a single traumatic event (PTSD). 

A single traumatic event can occur due to a bushfire, flood, sexual or physical assault as an adult, or fighting in a war. 

While those who have experienced complex trauma may also have PTSD, the effects of complex trauma are generally more severe than those of PTSD alone.

Who is a Trauma Surgeon?

We often refer to trauma surgeons as critical care and acute care surgeons. They undertake emergency surgery on persons who have suffered a severe injury or sickness. 

Trauma surgery needs a thorough understanding of surgical processes and how to treat various sorts of injuries. A trauma surgeon can help you recover from a severe injury or disease. 

Trauma doctors are specially trained to assess, diagnose, and stabilize patients who have suffered physical trauma. These patients have frequently been in a car accident, have been physically assaulted, have sustained a high-impact sports injury, or have fallen.

Trauma surgeons get training to detect and treat injuries and illnesses that result in trauma. They must immediately assess a patient’s condition and determine whether or not surgery is required. 

When you see a trauma surgeon, it’s usually after you’ve arrived at the emergency room of a hospital. If you need surgery to heal your disease, they’ll join your care team.

What Kinds of Injuries Does a Trauma Surgeon Treat?

There are two sorts of doctors in the emergency room (ER): trauma surgeons and emergency room doctors. Both respond to emergencies! But what they do for the patient is different. 

The following are some of the conditions that a trauma surgeon may treat:

• Blunt or Penetrating Trauma

Blunt trauma is any injury that originated from a severe shock. Common causes are motor vehicle collisions, falls, and attacks. 

Gunshot wounds, stab wounds, and agricultural equipment injuries are examples of penetrating trauma. It happens when an object pierces the skin and surrounding tissues.

• Acute Care & Emergency General Surgery Conditions

Unexpected medical emergencies arise from time to time! These emergencies need emergency surgical intervention. 

Appendicitis, diverticulitis, cholecystitis, a perforated bowel, a perforated ulcer, abdominal abscesses, incarcerated hernias, and intestinal blockages can all be treated by trauma surgeons.

• Orthopaedics

Trauma and Orthopaedics are a common phenomenon. To handle trauma to the bones, joints, and soft tissues, an orthopaedic trauma surgeon will be on standby or on call. Despite the fact that their title includes the word “surgeon,” orthopaedic surgeons will only perform surgery if it is absolutely essential.

• Burns

Severe burns, such as thermal burns, chemical burns, frostbite, and inhalation injury burns, may need the services of a trauma surgeon. Emergency surgery, skin excision, and skin grafting techniques are all alternatives for treatment.

• Surgical Critical Care Conditions

Trauma surgeons also perform Surgical critical care techniques on patients already in the hospital for another procedure or operation. Sepsis, respiratory failure, multi-organ failure, and coagulopathy are all examples of this.

If you go to the emergency room with any of these injuries or illnesses, a trauma surgeon will examine your medical condition and recommend the best treatment option.

Traumatic injuries often include the following:

• Spine fractures and spinal cord injury
• Sudden amputation
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Crush injury
• Acoustic trauma
• Broken or dislocated jaw
• Concussion
• Skull fracture
• Severe cuts and puncture wounds

Essential Qualification of a Trauma Surgeon

A trauma surgeon works in a highly specialised field. He engages with patients who have suffered life-threatening injuries. 

In the controlled chaos of an emergency department, both a trauma surgeon and an ER doctor are critical. Both are prepared to react to a crisis. 

However, because of their varying skill sets, their roles are diverse. For becoming a trauma surgeon, you have to master:

• Excellent physical dexterity.
• Hand-eye coordination.
• The capacity to concentrate on a single activity for extended periods.
• Strong problem-solving and critical-thinking abilities.
• Analytical, leadership, and decision-making abilities are essential.
• Excellent communication and patient service abilities.

How to become a Trauma Surgeon?

To become a trauma surgeon, you must complete a series of steps and spend 12 to 15 years in school.

Step 1: Earn a bachelor’s degree in biology, pre-medicine, or a science-related field.

Step 2: Finish a doctor of medicine (MD) program with two years of clinical experience.

Step 3: Enrol in a residency program in medicine. If you want to be a trauma surgeon, get a job in general surgery so you may learn about a variety of treatments. The residency is for usually 4-5 years.

Step 4: Complete a fellowship program that lasts between one and two years. During this time, you’ll concentrate on trauma surgeries and acquire training in patient follow-up.

Licensing and Certification: After completing all of your studies, you’ll need to get licensed and certified. The law necessitates the acquisition of a license. 

Certification adds value to your degree and license because your skill level has been reviewed and verified by an impartial third party. You want to pass these exams the first time you take them. As a result, devote time to studying and taking practice tests.  

Where do trauma surgeons work?

The local emergency department (ER) may appear to be a controlled chaos drill. There are various types of healthcare providers in an emergency room, each with its own set of responsibilities. 

But they have the same goal: to save lives and reduce the long-term impacts of illness or trauma. In general, Trauma Surgeons work in the medical emergency room. 

When seriously injured patients come, the trauma surgeon is in the ER with the ER doctor whenever possible. The trauma surgeon performs the procedure if any surgery is required. If the patient gets admitted, the trauma surgeon becomes the primary caregiver and provides follow-up treatment.

While examining the patient and making decisions about their care, ER doctors may intubate them, initiate blood transfusions, and request diagnostics. They’re well-versed in initial stabilisation. 

Emergency room doctors handle the vast majority of minor trauma patients. Trauma surgeons, on the other hand, are not stationed in the ER regularly. But they will respond if patients meet specific criteria, such as having low blood pressure after a vehicle accident or if ER patients need emergency surgery to save their lives or prevent long-term or irreversible harm. 

Trauma Surgeon duties and responsibilities

• They must collect the patient’s medical history.
• They should keep the chart and patient information up to date with current test results and treatments.
•  Investigate and determine to order new tests to be performed by healthcare staff.
•  Examine test results to find out what’s wrong.
• Based on the reports, develop treatment plans for patient care and follow up.

Basic Salary of a Trauma surgeon

Newly trained trauma surgeons in the United Kingdom receive an average beginning pay of around £131,000 per year! Their earnings progressively grow throughout their careers. It may get higher by about £237,000 per year for senior-level professionals and experts.