You may already be familiar with orthopaedic doctors. These physicians specialize in your musculoskeletal system, specifically the bones, joints, tendons, ligaments, and muscles that you rely on to move throughout life. However, when you have a traumatic injury, you require even more precise care.
Dr. Eric E. Johnson is an experienced orthopaedic trauma specialist with advanced training in traumatic injuries, especially complex and extensive fractures. If you have multiple injuries, here’s how Dr. Johnson can help.
First, it’s important to note that the term traumatic doesn’t necessarily mean life-threatening. Instead, it describes a physical injury that happened suddenly and requires immediate medical attention.
When you experience a traumatic injury, it often includes burns, penetration, or blunt force to the body. Common causes of traumatic injury include:
Because of the sudden nature and physical trauma involved in these types of events, they often cause more than one injury to the body — or polytrauma.
As you can imagine, one injury can be serious enough, but experiencing several at the same time requires expert care. This is even more true when you end up injured because of a traumatic event because these injuries are often severe, complex, or critical.
Examples of traumatic injuries include:
As a trauma specialist, Dr. Johnson has advanced training in evaluating these injuries and classifying them by severity.
If you sustain multiple traumas, you get admitted to a Level I Trauma Center.
Hospitals have different accreditations and designations as trauma centers, ranging from I to IV, based on the level of care they can provide. Hospitals with a Level I designation have the most resources and capabilities to handle traumatic injuries 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Dr. Johnson’s polytrauma patients come through Ronald Reagan Medical Center at the University of California, Los Angeles. First, he checks for orthopaedic injuries, starting in high-risk areas of your body, like your chest, spine, and pelvis. This assessment involves digital imaging tests, like X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs to look for bone and soft tissue trauma.
After assessing your injuries, Dr. Johnson makes recommendations for the best orthopaedic solutions, including reconstructive procedures. These treatments focus not only on addressing current injuries, but also on reducing your chances of complications later in life, like arthritis.
Research shows that getting the best care within the first 60 minutes of sustaining multiple traumas is crucial. And an orthopaedic trauma specialist like Dr. Johnson can continue monitoring your progress and providing care as you heal.
If you’ve sustained multiple injuries, don’t wait to seek help. Contact Eric E. Johnson, MD, in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, by calling 424-309-1492.
