Seven Questions for a Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon

Interviewer: It's seven questions for a fellowship-trained pediatric orthopedic surgeon with Dr. Joshua Speirs.

#1: Why Did You Specialize In Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery?

Dr. Speirs: 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. That instant change and their quick recovery are so much fun to be a part of.

#2: What Are Some of the Common Conditions or Surgeries That You Encounter or Have to Perform?

Dr. Speirs: Probably the most common we're all familiar with is broken bones, arms, legs, hands, and feet fractures. That's a very common one. I do a lot of spine surgery, so scoliosis, kyphosis deformities, and kids whose spine is not growing the way we want it to.

#3: What Does It Mean to Be a Fellowship-trained Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon?

Dr. Speirs: So, that means we did medical school, which is four years. We did the five years of orthopedic surgery training, and then we do additional training focusing on treating children.

Interviewer: So you're well-prepared by the point you're done.

Dr. Speirs: Yeah, it's not our first rodeo.

#4: What's the Most Common Advice That You Give to Patients?

Dr. Speirs: 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." But to reassure them that our goal and our mission is to get them back to where they were before their injury or before whatever is setting them back.

Interviewer: Yeah, and that patience is going to make the difference between whether it's going to be successful or not, so.

Dr. Speirs: Yeah, totally. I mean, like we just go through the process. This is a speed bump in your life. It's not a life-ending thing.

#5: 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's a few more steps . . .

Interviewer: Right.

Dr. Speirs: . . . when you're fixing a bone or fixing a spine than when you're fixing your wall. Kids are growing. They have growth plates that make their bones bigger. When we're fixing their fractures or straightening their spine, we have to respect that growth to allow them to continue to grow. In adults, they don't have that. So you don't have to worry about disrupting the blood supply to the growth plate or disrupting that growth plate itself, which could, unfortunately, stop the child from growing.

Interviewer: 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: I want you to update the cliché. The old cliché is an apple a day keeps the doctor away . . .

#6: What Keeps the Orthopedic Surgeon Away?

Dr. Speirs: Well, I kind of grew up with the mantra that "let a child play" because they learn coordination and their activity makes their bones stronger. At the same time, a kid who's out playing on monkey bars and trampolines may fall down and hurt themselves. But 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?

Dr. Speirs: Watching the child come back totally recovered and back to their normal life as if nothing happened.