Surgery on Friends and Family

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SouthPod7

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Would you do it?

Would you operate on your spouse/friend/family member/colleague/coworker? Elective and non-elective?

How extensive would you go? Just bunions and hammertoes? Would you do a flatfoot or ankle recon on your boss?

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I would happily do a TMA on my boss, but nothing beyond that.
 
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My FIL keeps asking me to fix his bunion when we live 2+ hours apart. Still a third year resident so I'm using that as a shield for now. Planning on getting a job muuuuuuuch farther away
 
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Would you operate on your spouse/friend/family member/colleague/coworker? Elective and non-elective?
Spouse/friend/family member NO
colleague/coworker yes
 
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In a lot of states/insurances, you can't bill treatments, procedures, or anything for family or spouse... not payable (too much fraud).

Even if you'd get paid for it in some places, treating family's an ethical "nope" from AMA, nearly any specialty society.

As for the friend/network... depends if there are good local ppl to do it instead.
If yes, I send it out. If not, I'd rather do it than have them get filleted.
Same for co-worker/staff in your same office, avoid it... punt it to nearby office if possible (within your large group, MSG, etc).
If they are at least upstairs, downstairs, across building, across town (large groups)... probably ok but case-by-case call.

It's a personal decision (unless it's family, then it's a clear no-go... unless you like to work for free or risk fraud).
I try not to do any of it in general... plenty of ppl to operate on. I send personal network friends, their fam, etc to trusted colleagues nearby. I don't even love treating hospital employees that I see in the cafe, halls, etc.. but it's inevitable sometimes.
 
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I surgerized a coworker recently. Plantar fasciotomy. Generally speaking, all my post-op plantar fasciotomies have done very well...

But, of course... all except my coworker, who now has a super inflamed fat pad afterward. Slowly going away with Hokas + knee scooter. Shes frustrated and i’m frustrated. That’s life. 🙁
 
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I surgerized a coworker recently. Plantar fasciotomy. Generally speaking, all my post-op plantar fasciotomies have done very well...

But, of course... all except my coworker, who now has a super inflamed fat pad afterward. Slowly going away with Hokas + knee scooter. Shes frustrated and i’m frustrated. That’s life. 🙁
Thats how it works. Even something stupid like a PF injection or stress fracture in a boot, the person who doesn't get better is the coworker. I had a coworker bring their kid to me for a laceration it was after hours and I was doing it to save them a trip to the ER (we don't have urgent care around here). The kid who should heal no problem, was not healing well at all. But if it wasn't the coworker, it would have healed just fine.
 
Had a coworkers daughter with polydactyly and the amp went well. But I’m with everyone else in that if it’s going to go wrong it always seems to be some coworker, colleague, family friend.

It gets tricky when you are rural and maybe the only person able to willing to do it and you’d otherwise have to send them hours away. There is something to the fact that you just may be the best person for the job as Feli alluded to and I think you just need to treat them like any other patient, educate them on risks and trust your own skills and training. It can be a tough decision though even when it’s not family.
 
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