Imagine that you are walking on the road and suddenly there is a big accident... There is panic everywhere... People are screaming... At that moment, an ambulance arrives and takes you quickly to the hospital's Emergency Treatment Unit (ETU). There, there is a team of doctors who are fighting to save your life, second by second. The leader of that team, that is, the person who makes the crucial decisions regarding your life at that moment, is the 'Trauma Surgeon' we are going to talk about.
Simply put, who is this Trauma Surgeon?
Simply put, a Trauma Surgeon is a specialist who performs emergency surgery to treat serious, life-threatening injuries after an accident.
If you have a serious accident, this doctor will lead the entire medical team that will treat you in the hospital. This team may include the critical care staff, other surgical specialists, and nurses. The trauma surgeon is the one who coordinates your overall care after surgery, making sure everything is going well. Sometimes these doctors are also called 'acute care surgeons' or 'critical care surgeons'. They all mean the same thing.
What are the main injuries that a Trauma Surgeon treats?
Accidents are not the things we think about. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people are injured and end up in hospitals. A Trauma Surgeon has extensive experience with a wide range of injuries. Let's take a look at the types of injuries they most commonly treat.
| Type of Injury | What does that simply mean? | Examples from our lives |
|---|---|---|
| Blunt Force Trauma | Serious damage to internal organs (such as the liver, spleen, lungs) caused by a strong blow, even if the skin is not broken on the surface. | - Vehicle accident (bike, three-wheeler, car accident) - Falling from a height (tree, building) - A hard bump or blow. |
| Penetrating Trauma | A sharp object that cuts the skin and penetrates the body, damaging internal organs. | - A stab wound - A gunshot - Stab something like a sharp iron rod - Falling on something sharp. |
| Burn Injuries | Serious damage to the skin and underlying tissues caused by fire, extreme heat, or chemicals. | - Burns from fire, hot water or oil - Exposure to a chemical such as acid - Exposure to extreme cold (frostbite) |
| Other Emergency Surgery (Emergency General Surgery) | Other life-threatening medical conditions that occur without any danger, but suddenly appear. | - Bowel obstruction - Severe infection that spreads throughout the body (Sepsis) - Respiratory failure - Organ failure while in the hospital |
What are the common surgeries and procedures these doctors perform?
A Trauma Surgeon does not work alone. They often work with other specialists to save lives. Here are some of the things they do:
- Emergency Thoracostomy: This involves inserting a tube into the chest cavity. Imagine that your chest has filled with blood or a lung has collapsed due to an accident. You can't breathe, and your life is in danger. This tube is inserted to drain out the blood or air.
- Emergency Thoracotomy: This is something even bigger. It is a major surgery that is performed by opening the chest as a last-ditch effort to save life when the heart is about to stop due to a chest injury.
- Emergency Laparotomy: This involves making a large incision in the middle of the abdomen to examine and repair any damage to the organs inside the abdomen (such as the intestines, liver, and stomach). This can even be done in cases such as emergency appendicitis surgery.
- Controlling excessive bleeding and wounds: Their main function is to stop excessive bleeding, clean the wound, and repair damaged blood vessels and tissues in the event of a stab or gunshot wound.
- Working with other specialists:
- If there is damage to the brain or spine, they work with neurosurgeons.
- If bones are broken, they work with orthopedic surgeons to treat them.
None of us expect an accident. But if one does happen, in those crucial minutes between life and death, the Trauma Surgeon is the leader who fights to save your life.
What is the difference between a Trauma Surgeon and a General Surgeon?
This is a question that many people have. The answer is very simple.
Every Trauma Surgeon is a General Surgeon. That is, they have completed basic training in general surgery, such as abdominal surgery and wound suturing.
However, a Trauma Surgeon goes even further and undergoes another one or two years of specialized training (fellowship program) in critical care and trauma . During this training, they learn how to make quick decisions and manage complex injuries in exactly the same life-threatening situations, under pressure.
Just as a general doctor becomes a pediatrician, a general surgeon becomes a trauma surgeon.
What is the difference between a Trauma Center and a regular hospital?
A trauma center is a hospital or a special unit of a hospital that is specially equipped to treat patients who have suffered serious injuries. The main difference here from a regular hospital is the preparation .
A Trauma Center has a team of specialists on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week , ready to deal with any emergency. This means a Trauma Surgeon, an Anaesthetist, specially trained nurses, and all the necessary equipment (CT scanners, blood banks, operating rooms) are ready to be used at any time.
In Sri Lanka, major hospitals like the National Hospital in Colombo, Kandy, and Karapitiya have high-level trauma services. If you are taken to a place with such facilities in the event of an accident, there is a much greater chance that you will receive the best treatment you need quickly.
Take-Home Message
- A Trauma Surgeon is a specialist surgeon who treats life-threatening emergencies such as car accidents, falls, stab wounds, and burns.
- When you are brought to the Emergency Treatment Unit (ETU), the leader of the medical team treating you is often a Trauma Surgeon.
- Every Trauma Surgeon is first a General Surgeon, and then receives specialized training in emergency and intensive care.
- They work closely with other specialists in treating brain, bone, or other specific injuries.
- A Trauma Center is a hospital specially equipped to treat serious injuries 24 hours a day, increasing the chances of saving your life.
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