The lessons that shape a spine surgeon’s career are not always learned in the operating room.
From knowing when not to operate to choosing the right colleagues and getting promises in writing, four spine surgeons told Becker’s about the hard-won lessons they would pass on to the next generation.
Ask Spine Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to spine surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting spine care. Becker’s invites all spine surgeon and specialist responses.
Next question: Where do you think spine surgeons are still too quick to fuse, and where has the pendulum swung too far against fusion?
Question: What is one hard-won lesson from your career that you’d pass to a surgeon just starting out, and what did learning it cost you?
Please send responses to Sophie Eydis at seydis@beckershealthcare.com by 5 p.m. Central time Sunday, Oct. 4.
Editor’s note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length.
Marco Burkhard, MD. Attending Spine Surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery (New York City): I consider myself a young spine surgeon, but one lesson has already become clear: Never let your skillset define your indications. Keep learning new techniques, but always choose the operation that best solves the patient’s problem, not the one you enjoy performing most. In the long run, your reputation will be built just as much on the operations you decide not to do as the ones you do.
Brian Gantwerker, MD. Neurosurgeon and President of The Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles: The one lesson I would say all surgeons should learn when they’re just starting out is: Always, always, always get it in writing. If it’s just talked about, it’s worth the paper it’s printed on.
Issada Thongtrangan, MD. Endoscopic and Minimally Invasive Spine Surgeon at MicroSpine (Scottsdale, Ariz.): One hard-won lesson I would pass on is that technical skill alone does not make you a successful surgeon. The best outcomes come from knowing when to operate, when not to operate, and how to truly listen to the patient in front of you.
I learned that over time, through difficult cases, complications, and the humility that comes with realizing that even a technically successful operation may not be the right operation for a particular patient. It cost me some sleepless nights and a great deal of self-reflection, but it made me more thoughtful and patient-centered.
For a surgeon just starting out: Keep learning, seek honest feedback and never let confidence replace judgment.
Christian Zimmerman, MD. Spinal Neurosurgeon at St. Alphonsus Medical Group and SAHS Neuroscience Institute (Boise, Idaho): Unquestionably, an outstanding milestone in this professional career was the realization of colleague associations and a learned surrounding with like-minded individuals. Disruptive, self-indulgent and esurient behaviors among physicians, albeit incessant, are unendurably failure-bound in our profession. Not readily discoverable, choosing the correct path with the proper group and patient-centric colleagues bolsters both competence and longevity.
Avowedly, the loss of purpose and directed societal intentions are historically and potentially replaced with self-regard and even avarice. Collectively, we have all witnessed this repeating tragedy.
Personally, a mid-career change occurred after an employment scenario arose within a large health system. Simultaneously and discerningly, many exited from the withstanding group and soon became employed specialists, leaving an untenable situation, time-proven to be mephitic, pernicious and effete. The separation, necessary and worthwhile, cost was the personal logistics of a new practice, bound by the constant noise of opposed dissension that ultimately became irrelevant.
At the Becker’s 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now.
