Surgery
Why hernias are a silent threat to women’s health [PODCAST]
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In this episode, Shirin Towfigh, a surgeon and hernia specialist, delves into the often-overlooked issue of hernias, particularly in women. The discussion highlights the challenges patients face when dealing with chronic pelvic pain …
Diary of a resident: Dr. Punching Bag, MD
As I neared the end of my second year of general surgery residency, I had spent almost an hour comforting an anxious patient, assuring her that her bedside abscess drainage would be simple and quick. Finally, I put on my sterile gloves to begin. Before I could start, a nurse who embodied the “Karen” stereotype entered the room and asked, “Are you cleared to perform this procedure alone? Where is …
Cognitive decline and surgery: the silent struggle doctors don’t talk about
You’d think surgeons would be the first to know when to hang up their scalpel, but alas, they’re as stubborn as a rusted bolt. When should a surgeon put down the knife and stop pretending they’re not going blind? It’s a question of cognitive decline, ego, and knowing when to pass the baton—or in this case, the scalpel.
Unlike our colleagues in internal medicine, surgeons wield sharp objects, making the temporal …
The unspoken emotional toll of trauma surgery: a medical student’s journey
It’s one thing to choose a career dedicated to saving lives; it’s another altogether to confront the harsh reality of death. As a third-year medical student, my trauma surgery rotation highlighted that distinction. For all the patients we saved, there were also those who, despite the team’s best efforts, succumbed to their injuries amidst trauma activations. The protocol for a patient’s death in the trauma bay was always followed to …
Why surgeons are superstitious [PODCAST]
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In this episode, we dive into the fascinating world of rituals and superstitions in surgery with Carmen Fong, a colorectal surgeon. Discover how these seemingly irrational practices impact surgeon performance, confidence, and patient …
Spinal revolution: Navigating a digital future in surgical precision
With an expected 80 percent increase in demand for spinal surgery by 2060, particularly among older patients, the need for advanced technology driving personalized treatment is clear. Achieving optimal spine outcomes while deriving critical data that facilitates continuous improvement is limited in the current state by operating room technology narrowly focused on optimizing safe screw placement. While this is a valuable capability, integrating more advanced surgical navigation and artificial intelligence …
Why I won’t let my wife see her EOBs anymore
Today, in the mail, I received a claim summary for medical care that my wife received. She saw an orthopedic PA for an achy knee and got a shot of a slippery substance that was supposed to be superior to steroids. “Is this stuff expensive?” she asked him. “Don’t worry about it,” he said. “You have Medicare. It will cover it.”
It didn’t help her knee, though, and she moved on …
Medicine’s struggle with genetic and social realities
For decades, the medical community has wrestled with the role of race in research and practice, a tug-of-war steeped in historical, social, and political entanglements. While some argue for discarding race, in doing so, we overlook the nuanced interplay between genetics and lived experiences. Does race carry explanatory power, or are there better alternatives to this surrogate?
Race presents a complex interplay of benefits and challenges as a variable in health …
Ignored and misdiagnosed: the truth about hernias in women
When actress, model, and reality star Denise Richards came into my office, she had been suffering from chronic pelvic pain for years. Doctor after doctor had given her the same advice: ignore it.
It’s just a hernia.
By the time Richards consulted me, she was experiencing more than just a hernia. It was four: two inguinal hernias and two femoral hernias, all needing immediate repair.
Richards’ situation is far from unique.
In case after …
Big business and surgery: Who belongs in your operating room
My deep dive into this topic started after examining a New York Times article regarding the abuse of medical technology within my specialty of vascular surgery. The knowledge this article presented, along with my love of innovation and acquisition of an MBA focusing on entrepreneurship, prompted further probing into the field. Ultimately, my work led to an editorial in the periodical The Vascular Specialist and, subsequently, a TEDx …
Building the future of African plastic surgery: Igniting passion in medical students
Recently, I completed a rotation at the plastic surgery department of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana. Reflecting on this experience, I realized a few things. My perception of plastic surgery practice was naive and uninformed. This experience has been an eye-opener as it has challenged preconceived notions and revealed the multifaceted nature of this wonderful specialty. However, I recognize that most African students do not have the same opportunity. Only a …
From house calls to the OR: a surgeon’s journey and unexpected lessons
Clueless at the time, when I applied to medical school, I imagined myself one day making house calls, good ol’ Doc Schwab, paid in chickens and pies, smiles, and blackberry jam. There I’d be, delivering babies on kitchen tables, patching up Old Lady Jones’s leg on the sofa, shaking out thermometers, and feeling foreheads. One of my roommates in med school was the son of such a doctor, although instead …
The demise of doctor-owned medicine?
When I joined The Everett Clinic forty-two years ago, we were thirty-some physicians. The main campus consisted of what’s now called the Founders’ Building and a couple of parking lots. The building was industrial and off-putting, guiding patients to various locations by way of colored stripes on the floor. TEC had just opened its first satellite office in Marysville and had negotiated an exclusive contract with a now-defunct health insurance …
Embracing innovation in the digitized operating room
In modern medicine, the operating room epitomizes precision, expertise, and innovation. While we’ve made incredible advancements in medical science and patient care in recent decades, operating rooms have faced their share of challenges, from inefficiencies to outdated technology. However, the OR is poised for transformation as health care embraces computational care and digitization, revolutionizing surgical practice and patient care.
The traditional challenges in operating rooms encompass various issues, such as technical …
The unseen work of women surgeons
I always said yes, taking on numerous tasks and roles, but now I question the value of unpaid work in my career trajectory as a colorectal surgeon. I always said yes. That’s what you’re supposed to do, right? Always say yes because you don’t know which opportunity will be “the one” that launches your career into orbit. So I said yes to organizing the lunch orders when the drug reps …
The truth about employee turnover: It’s inevitable (and OK!)
It is a simple idea, but we don’t think about it. Everyone will leave their job, including us. This thought occurred to me as our office was undergoing a painful turnover. I started my private practice in 2020, expecting it to be a small, close-knit office. I had the vision of practicing medicine as I thought it should be practiced, with attentive and caring staff who truly cared about the …
Finding my calling: a surgeon’s path through medical school
September 1974. I was a third-year medical student at NYU. My husband and I, newlyweds, lived in a single room in the med student dorm. Fortunately, third-year students took night calls, so on those nights, my husband had the single pull-out bed all to himself.
If family medicine and emergency medicine existed as defined specialties at that time, our med school didn’t acknowledge them. Seven years later, as a chief resident, …
Toxic work culture in surgery: Can it be fixed?
After destroying a light fixture in the OR and being written up for another episode of disorderly conduct, John was at the end of his wits.
His marriage, profession, and self-respect were all on the line, and in the eyes of everyone around him, he was another surgical monster.
But little did he know – none of this was his fault. (We’ll get there in a moment.)
The outburst came in a fit …
Healing together: patient and physician well-being [PODCAST]
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Join Kim Downey, a physical therapist, and Anthony Avellino, a pediatric neurosurgeon and author of Finding Purpose: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey of Hope and Healing, as they explore the critical topic of physician well-being. …
Past Week
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Should transgender athletes compete in women’s sports?
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Medicare’s cobra effect: How a well-intentioned policy spiraled into a health care crisis
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Time to get digital in your practice
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Doctors under fire: Is the DEA turning them into drug dealers?
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Why diversity in sports medicine is the key to better patient care
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Has COVID-19 changed the way oncologists talk about cancer?
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Past 6 Months
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The truth behind opioid use disorder
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How medical school curricula perpetuate inequality
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From conviction to appeal: a doctor’s opioid case sparks debate
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Stop physician burnout: the hidden danger of AI note-writing software
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President Biden: a closer look at leadership, dignity, and aging
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A doctor’s eye-opening journey as a patient
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Recent Posts
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Has COVID-19 changed the way oncologists talk about cancer?
-
Is big business controlling your surgeon’s decisions? [PODCAST]
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Why diversity in sports medicine is the key to better patient care
-
The hidden estate tax: How the SECURE Act could impact your heirs
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How a doctor with cerebral palsy defied the odds and transformed health care
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When technology merges with humanity
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Past Week
-
Should transgender athletes compete in women’s sports?
-
Medicare’s cobra effect: How a well-intentioned policy spiraled into a health care crisis
-
Time to get digital in your practice
-
Doctors under fire: Is the DEA turning them into drug dealers?
-
Why diversity in sports medicine is the key to better patient care
-
Has COVID-19 changed the way oncologists talk about cancer?
-
Past 6 Months
-
The truth behind opioid use disorder
-
How medical school curricula perpetuate inequality
-
From conviction to appeal: a doctor’s opioid case sparks debate
-
Stop physician burnout: the hidden danger of AI note-writing software
-
President Biden: a closer look at leadership, dignity, and aging
-
A doctor’s eye-opening journey as a patient
-
Recent Posts
-
Has COVID-19 changed the way oncologists talk about cancer?
-
Is big business controlling your surgeon’s decisions? [PODCAST]
-
Why diversity in sports medicine is the key to better patient care
-
The hidden estate tax: How the SECURE Act could impact your heirs
-
How a doctor with cerebral palsy defied the odds and transformed health care
-
When technology merges with humanity
-
