08/22/2023
Facial trauma reconstruction and care is a core component to Oral & Maxillo-Facial surgery. Not all surgeons choose to render such care after residency.
After 20+ years of taking acute trauma care call, I chose to discontinue doing so as a private practice OMFS.
I still see elective trauma care but no more 24 hour call for trauma hospitals.
Unfortunately, this is a common challenge facing the issue of acute trauma care. There are essentially 3 specialties that take call for facial trauma patients: OMFS, ENT and PRS.
Late hours, poor OR capacity to accommodate timely care, extremely low insurance reimbursement or none at all, medico-legal risk and physical demand make this aspect of care almost non-sustainable especially for the private practitioner.
While I can only speak for my experience, I suspect my colleagues face the same issues. My time treating and caring for trauma patients was fulfilling but essentially a community service as reimbursement was almost non-existent. I hope some thing changes in a positive direction going forward especially as it pertains to transparency from insurance companies.
I applaud and honor my colleagues, especially in private practice, that continue to take acute trauma call.
