Arcade of Struthers and Forearm Instability

So it is interesting for the young physician starting out, you know, it is highly flattering when people travel to receive their medical care, receive their surgery largely.

And I used to be, I don't wanna say competitive, but there's a certain group of people, especially with congenital hand surgeries, a s- a certain group of patients that will doctor shop.

And I don't know if they're looking for the answer they want or just wanna meet a bunch of people, um, but there's a circuit, and, you know, St. Louis is on it.

And then there's other people who just, uh, read what you've written and really start to understand and connect with you online, and they travel.

Uh, I used to be very competitive, a- and, and especially for those doc- those, the folks on the circuit, and really wanted to win and have all those patients come to St. Louis.

I don't feel that way anymore for a lot of reasons, but I'm curious, you certainly have people travel to see you.

I'm certain-- I'm curious as to your perspective.

Um, you know, I, I think that it's, it's, it is very flattering as a younger person earlier in career to have somebody wanna travel.

It does feel like it's, you know, quite a bit of pressure.

Um, I've had a, a couple of people that have made the circuit for nerve and for plexus.

Uh, most recently somebody from New York City who has a very bad injury, who has seen the kind of standard players, HSS, Mayo, us, two people at our institution, uh, and also OrthoCarolina.

And, you know, three of those places are actually in our multicenter study group.

So I'd see all these, like, screening logs come up, and then it's like, "Who, who's gonna do the surgery?" [laughs] Uh, and you know, for, for many reasons for this particular case, I'm not bummed.

Uh, they picked a great, uh, team.

Uh, and you know, i- t- 'cause it's just a really tough case, uh, with an uncertain outcome regardless who does the case.

Um, but yeah, no, it's, it's, it's one of those things where you, um-I don't know if I ever feel competitive.

I'm not, I think, at that stage in my career where I can, uh, you know, fully go toe-to-toe with some of these, uh, giants.

Uh, but I'm pretty confident in what our team does and the work we can provide and, and the, the research we've done to, uh, to support it.

Um, but I think it's always hard to figure out, like, when somebody does commit to having a surgery with you from out of town, how you handle that.

Like, how much of a r- relationship you try to establish to...

I don't know if you ever make-- if you ever feel like you have to, like, make it worth their while to come see you, aside from the surgery part of it.

Yeah, I guess there's different ways to think about it.

Um, and I've done it both ways, where it's very, um...

In the office, I give everyone my cell, or almost everyone my cell, as you know, so they have that.

I can text, just the kind of how-you-doing text.