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#1: Why did you specialize in pediatric orthopedic surgery?
Oh, I love taking care of children, and I particularly love orthopedics in that we can take something like a fracture or a crooked bone and we can straighten it out, and everyone can see the kid get up and walk or get back to life.
#2: What are some of the common conditions or surgeries that you encounter or have to perform?
Broken bones. That's a very common one. I do a lot of spine surgery, so scoliosis, kyphosis deformities, and kids whose spines are not growing the way we want them to.
#3: What's the most common advice that you give to patients?
To be patient. And that sounds crazy. But for a teenager who just broke their leg, it's really hard to be like, "Yeah, you can't play football for the next couple of weeks."
#4: What's the most common misconception about what you do?
Dr. Speirs: That it's like carpentry. It's a little more sophisticated than screwing two-by-fours together.
Interviewer: Oh, and explain that.
Dr. Speirs: Most people look at X-rays and they see our plates and screws and go, "Oh, yeah, you know, I could just strap those two things together and put a screw behind it." There are a few more steps when you're fixing a bone or fixing a spine.
#5: Knowing what you know and seeing what you've seen, you cringe a little bit when . . .
Dr. Speirs: When I see two football players go head-to-head in a tackle. There are a lot of things . . . Broken arms we can fix. Even broken legs, we can fix and get the kid back. Head and neck injuries can be fairly catastrophic.
Interviewer: The old cliché is an apple a day keeps the doctor away . . .
#6: What keeps the orthopedic surgeon away?
Kids need to be active. Their bones and muscles get stronger as they play. They develop coordination. They stay a healthy weight. That is critical for long-term bone health as well as, you know, your overall wellness.
#7: What's the most gratifying part of your job?
Watching the child come back totally recovered and back to their normal life as if nothing happened.
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