Trauma Surgery in Boulder, CO

What Is Trauma Surgery?

Trauma is the branch of surgical medicine that deals with treating injuries caused by a sudden impact. Many trauma patients are the victims of car crashes, stabbings, and gunshot wounds. Trauma can also be caused by falls or pedestrians being struck by a car.

Emergency and Complex Surgical Care When It Matters Most

• In the case of severe trauma, such as a catastrophic car crash, the trauma surgeon may be one part of a surgical team that includes vascular surgeons (to repair damage to blood vessels), orthopedic surgeons (to repair broken bones), and other surgeons as needed.

• An emergency surgery is a procedure that must be performed immediately because a patient is at risk of permanent harm or death. Examples of emergency surgeries include attempting to stop massive bleeding after a gunshot wound or repairing a brain aneurysm, which is causing the brain to fill with blood. Less serious emergency surgeries include an appendectomy or the fixation of a broken bone. 

• The overall responsibility for trauma care falls under the auspices of general surgery. General surgeons must be able to deal initially with almost any surgical emergency. Often they are the first port of call to critically ill or gravely injured patients, and must perform a variety of procedures to stabilize such patients.

Effectiveness and Complications

Because trauma surgery is an emergency procedure carried out when the patient is already at an elevated risk of death, serious problems may arise. A patient’s chances of surviving and recovering from a trauma or unexpected sickness increase with the timing of trauma surgery. As with most surgical operations, a patient may experience pain, discomfort, swelling, nausea, vomiting, and restlessness during trauma surgery.

Trauma surgery can be used to address a variety of urgent conditions if it is done right away. The ideal course of action is to seek this treatment as soon as possible after a catastrophic accident or the unexpected beginning of another illness.

Emergency Surgery at Alpine Surgical

Drs. Fox and Beckley are frequently on call at one of the local trauma centers in Northern Colorado and are extremely skilled and experienced in various surgical procedures necessary in emergency situations. In case of a life-threatening emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department!