Nick Pappas, MD

Nick Pappas, MD Nick Pappas, MD is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon in New Orleans, LA A New Orleans native, he graduated from St. Martin’s Episcopal School (Metairie, LA).
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Nick Pappas, MD is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with a Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) in hand surgery who specializes in various hand and upper extremity conditions. He then traveled to Princeton University (Princeton, NJ) for college, where he earned a B.A. in Philosophy and pitched for the baseball team. While at Princeton, he played baseball for all four years on a team that won 2 Ivy League Baseball Championships and made 2 appearances in the NCAA Division I College World Series Tournament. After college, he earned his medical degree from Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN). He then completed an orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA). After residency, he returned to Vanderbilt University to complete a fellowship in Hand, Microvascular, and Upper Extremity Surgery. Dr. Pappas has been in practice for over 10 years. He currently serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at both Tulane University and Louisiana State University. He is also a member of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and serves as a consultant reviewer for the prestigious Journal of Hand Surgery, American. He has an active interest in clinical research with over 30 peer-reviewed publications and multiple textbook chapters to his credit. For a complete up-to-date listing of all Dr. Pappas’s publications, please click the following link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Pappas+n

01/04/2026

In general, the operating room temperature is kept somewhere around 68°F (20°C) or less, which is pretty chilly by most people’s standards. Some facilities such as pediatric hospitals may keep it warmer at around 70°F (21°C) or higher because kids lose core body temperature more easily during surgeries.

🚨 Although it is commonly thought that we keep it cold in the operating room simply to prevent infection, that is actually not entirely the case. Believe it or not, creating too cold of an environment can actually increase the chances of infection because it lowers the patient’s core body temperature, which reduces their ability to fight infection.

✅ The real reason we keep it cold is to keep the operating room staff comfortable and prevent them from sweating on the surgical field. It can get pretty warm in the OR if you are wearing a gown, hat, lead apron, and working while under the hot OR lights. Having your surgeon or scrub tech sweat on the operating field is not good for anybody, especially the patient.

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01/03/2026

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👉 Poland syndrome is a congenital condition that occurs in about one in every 40,000 live births. It is more common in males and associated with ipsilateral limb abnormalities such as syndactyly (webbed digits).

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01/03/2026

Who can relate?

01/02/2026

Most dark nail streaks are totally benign…but not all of them! If you are concerned at all about any nail streak, I would highly recommend you get it evaluated by a dermatologist.

👉 A dark brown streak in the nail, which is known as longitudinal melanonychia, is most commonly benign and the result of blood, a mole, genetics, pregnancy, or even a foreign body underneath the nail. However, in some cases it can turn out to be melanoma, which is a cancer that can spread throughout the body if not removed.

😷 If you have had a dark streak for many years or have it in multiple fingers, it may simply be related to the pigment in your skin. In that case, it is less worrisome.

🚨 If you have a new dark streak that has been present for more than a few months, I would have it checked out by a dermatologist. If it needs to be excised, feel free to come see a hand surgeon like myself.

01/02/2026

Work is great, but family is everything. It can certainly be a balancing act; however, I've definitely learned to prioritize spending time with my wife and four-year-old son. Having my own practice where I have more control over my schedule has enabled me to do this more effectively.

01/01/2026

Back to the hospital I go. I'm coming to help you, buddy!

👉 Obviously, this wasn't my actual patient, but hopefully he was OK.

01/01/2026

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🚨 Do you know what your grip strength is? Good grip strength suggests good muscle mass overall. The more lean muscle mass you have, the more likely you are to live longer. Weak grip strength has been correlated to diabetes and cardiovascular disease among other issues.

💪 Routine resistance training combined with a protein-rich diet can help you build and maintain your muscle mass.

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12/31/2025

I thought I was hallucinating for a second!

👉 Anyway…the average cost for an ambulance ride in the US is around $1300 these days 🚑. However, it can be a lot more ($4000+) especially if you are out of network with the ambulance company.

🚨 Have you ever had a surprise ambulance bill? If so, let me know the amount in the comments.

12/31/2025

Protect your hands at all times, especially this New Year’s! 🎆

12/30/2025

Nice car, though! 🚗

🚨 School is still important, folks.

👉 For those wondering about the implants, the first one is a titanium plate and screws from , the second is the distal radius Crosslock from , and the last one is a silicone implant known as the KeriFlex from to replace an arthritic proximal interphalangeal joint.

🚨 Lastly, the cancer one was a melanoma.

12/30/2025

Try this on yourself, and let me know the results in the comments!

😷 How the Allen Test is Performed

The healthcare provider applies firm pressure to both the radial artery (thumb side) and the ulnar artery (pinky side) at the wrist.

The patient opening closes their fist to drain the blood. The provider releases pressure on the ulnar artery only, while keeping the radial artery compressed.

👉 Interpreting Results:

✅ Positive (Normal): hand flushes back to its normal pink color within 5 to 15 seconds. This indicates the ulnar artery provides enough collateral blood flow to keep the hand healthy if the radial artery is blocked.

🚨 Negative (Abnormal): The hand remains pale for longer than 15 seconds. This suggests inadequate collateral circulation, and the radial artery should not be used for a planned procedure.

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12/30/2025

It's estimated that around 5 to 10% of the population has Raynaud’s disease.

👉 Do you know someone with it?

Address

2520 Harvard Avenue
Metairie, LA
70001

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+15042262871

Website

http://eepurl.com/iQYOcQ, https://linktr.ee/nickpappasmd

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