Acute care surgery is a fairly new surgical subspecialty whose reach continues to expand. Currently, it comprises trauma treatment, care for surgical patients who are critically ill, and general emergency surgery. Unlike other surgical procedures or elective treatments, Upper East Side acute care surgery is performed immediately, as rescheduling or delaying surgery could jeopardize the patient’s health. Numerous health issues necessitate surgery, ranging from serious injuries to conditions like appendicitis, which are potentially life-threatening. Always consult your specialist to learn if you are eligible for acute care surgery. Meanwhile, read on to discover the common reasons to consider this care approach.
1. Bullet Wounds
Bullet wounds could vary from small wounds to serious traumatic damage, based on the anatomical tissues the bullet impacts. Unfortunately, the enormous kinetic energy of the bullet renders the course of gunshot wounds and the interior organs impacted unpredictable. Besides the direct trauma of the penetrating bullet, fragmentation or shrapnel from bullets could also disperse, affecting a bigger body area.
In addition to organ injury, bullet wounds are at increased risk of infection. In most cases, it is important to consider acute care surgery to rule out severe damage and avoid serious blood loss, and more complications.
2. Severe Burns
Minor burns are treatable with cleansing and painkillers, whereas severe burns require ongoing care. Partial-thickness burns must be cleaned with soap and water, then bandaged.
Nonetheless, severe or third-degree burns demand emergency surgical therapy, for instance, skin grafting. Persons who have suffered third-degree burns should also receive huge intravenous fluid amounts because of tissue swelling and capillary fluid leakage. Moreover, this acute care also involves protection from infections.
3. Serious Fractures
Fractures are typically the result of traumatic events such as vehicle accidents, sports injuries, and falls. However, specific health issues and repetitive stresses, such as jogging, could increase the likelihood of sustaining specific fractures.
Based on the severity of your injuries, you might require immediate surgery. Issues necessitating surgery include a bone piercing the skin, repeated fractures, or trauma to a major nerve or artery.
4. Critical Illnesses
Critical illnesses are characterized as any life-threatening disorder that necessitates pharmacological care for vital organ functioning, without which fatality is likely. While numerous treatment options exist for critical illnesses, including medications, acupuncture, and chiropractic care, some issues are only fixed with surgery. Your doctor may suggest emergency surgery if you have respiratory distress, urinary obstructions, sepsis, pancreatitis, stroke, and cancer.
5. Organ Failure
Organ failure is the state in which an organ fails to execute its normal function. Organ dysfunction is organ damage to the extent that proper homeostasis is not sustainable without external medical interventions.
An organ failure is generally categorized as acute or chronic, based on the root cause. Some conditions responsible for organ failure include serious burns, trauma, and pancreatitis. If the underlying reason for your organ failure is severe or causes multiple organ dysfunction, your specialist may suggest life-saving surgery.
If you or your beloved are struggling with a serious health concern, be it complex fractures or organ failure, you should consider acute care surgery. However, not all cases you believe are severe will require this medical approach. Therefore, it is important always to seek a specialist’s opinion. Following your procedure, your doctor will monitor your health, and advise you on the required post-surgery guidelines. If surgery is inappropriate for you, your doctor can suggest other care options.
