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Surgeon In Brief With Samena Chaudhry SpR (Trauma and Orthopaedics) OPN: What made you choose Orthopaedics? SC: My interest initially stemmed from meeting children with a range of deformities whilst on my elective in Africa. It was often simple procedures, for example allowing someone to mobilise independently or regain the use of a limb that they lacked the opportunity to ever undergo and I still have the ambition to spend time some doing charity work in orthopaedics in Uganda once trained.
Despite suffering the same problems, the attitude of orthopods (compared to other surgeons) was always so much more positive whilst I was doing my basic surgical rotation. The senior registrars were also very encouraging with juniors getting into theatres and actually learning how to do parts of the surgery. The sheer variety within the specialty, and seeing the fantastic results we often see with the younger patient population also got me interested. OPN: Where did you train? SC: BirminghamOPN: What are your specialist areas? SC: I don’t really have a definite favourite yet as Im coming towards the end of my second year but the ones I’ve most enjoyed have been trauma and upper limb.OPN: What are the best and worst aspects of your job? SC: I am currently doing a stint in spinal surgery - something we all have to do as part of our generic orthopaedic training. Its been more enjoyable and even fascinating… more than what I’d originally imagined, but the current heartsinks for me are patients who not good surgical candidates but take up hours of precious clinic time. The very long operations, assisting down a microscope definitely isn’t!OPN: Are there any developments in orthopaedics that excite you? SC: I am excited by navigation surgery and hope I’ll get a chance to have a go whilst still in training. Stem cell therapy and genetic engineering for the repair and regeneration of musculoskeletal tissues holds great promise.OPN: What are your thoughts on surgeons who receive financial benefits for using a company’s products? SC: I used to be totally against all reps and refused to touch their food or accept their gifts. However, in more recent years I’ve realised that the relationship is not as precarious as the one in medicine where doctors can be swayed in their decision to prescribe drugs on little hard evidence. In orthopaedics, you need the knowledge of a rep in order to become accustomed to using certain kit for particular procedures. If that equipment allows you to complete a particular operation efficiently with few complications and you decide to buy it for the hospital then surely its a good thing.
I don’t think that receiving financial benefits for using a product is always wrong - for example, support to attend an educational meeting in countries where it would not otherwise be possible for trainees to attend. Benefits should be a simple reimbursement for expenses, for the design and delivery of new products and to support the education of trainees. Patients should be told if we benefit from the implants used and we should be transparent in declaring any conflict of interest.OPN: Are patients becoming too knowledgeable on joint replacement and the implants that are used? SC: I think we have to accept that more people now have access to the internet - this means that we often get patients in clinic who have a misconception that we will be replacing their hip using MIS or that they might be receiving a particular type of hip replacement. Although this can sometimes make the consultation lengthy, I think it is a good thing for both them and us. By expecting to have knowledgeable customers, it makes the surgeon double check the decision making process and ensure the consenting process is meticulous for everyone. Patients have all sorts of expectations and new technologies make them ever more demanding but I’ve yet to see one who refuses to be treated because of the approach or implant they decide to use.OPN: Is it right that surgeons are rated and reviewed by patients on the website www.iwantgreatcare.org? SC: I don’t really think there is anything wrong with patients being positive about their doctor and giving comment. Sometimes the only thanks you get in the NHS is patient gratitude after successful treatment. Although I donI don’t really think there is anything wrong with patients being positive about their doctor and giving comment. Sometimes the only thanks you get in the NHS is patient gratitude after successful treatment. Although I don’t think this site has enough reviewers on it, I haven’t seen any negatives yet, but I might change my mind if I did!t think this site has enough reviewers on it, I haven’t seen any negatives yet, but I might change my mind if I did!
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