Taking a time off after PA School for a much needed surgery

[peasandthankyou]

Hello,

 

I will be starting PA school in January 2015 and am faced with the decision on when to have a much needed surgery on my wrist for Kienbock's Disease in my non-dominant hand. It's a really rare disease so it's been virtually impossible to find advice from someone who can relate. I am in the last stages of the disease (IIIB/IV) and have lost a considerable amount of grip strength and ROM, yet my hand is still usable. I currently wear a soft removable split during the day and when I sleep and only experience pain when the wrist is being strained and when I sleep. I was going to have a radial shortening yesterday, a little over a month prior to starting the program but backed out at the last minute in fear that I would not have enough time to recover and attend physical therapy before the start of the program. I did not want to be limited in my studies during the program. I also elected not to have the surgery because there was no guarantee about whether this would help slow the progression or improve pain. The physician felt that I would most likely need additional surgeries in the future, possibly even wrist fusion.

 

So here I am now, wondering if not now, then when? I am worried that if I have surgery on my wrist right after I graduate that I may have trouble finding a job. I want to have a long successful career and have worked hard to get into PA school, but I also know that this Kienbock's issue needs to be dealt with and sooner rather than later. Did you or other PA's that you know of, take a break after PA school and did you/they find it difficult to find work afterwards? Also have you or any PA's that you know of, had a wrist fusion and what has your experience been? Maybe I am overthinking this, but any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

-Alexis

[Arthropathy]

Sounds like a pretty noninvasive outpatient procedure. Shouldn't get in the way of either school or getting hired. I would get it done now, one less thing to worry about.

[winterallsummer]

How fast of a recovery do they expect? I'd prob want it done before school but I don't know much about this disease. Anyway I've met some PAs that take a yr off after school for various personal issues and all are employed full time now and doing well, for what it's worth.

[SocialMedicine]

you should start a line communication with your PA program if you are having trouble figuring out when to schedule the surgery. Perhaps speak on the phone with whomever your academic advisor might be and get their opinion. Your surgeon went through medical training and knows the data on return to work for this procedure. I am surprised he offered you nothing useful. 

 

You should picture yourself in a surgery as a PA student having to do some fine suturing, perhaps hold a retractor or other took at an angle, and if you anticipate problems better to speak up now and get some professional and documented input from your program.

 

Trouble finding a job ? Broadly speaking I am not sure how a surgical history that is nobodies business would influence that. However, if you develop a tremor or range of motion issue then you would not meet technical standards for certain areas of medicine such as surgery or ER. So if your only reason for going to PA school is to work in surgery and your surgeon is telling you there are big risks with this procedure I guess thats something to consider. This is partly why surgeons have huge disability insurance plans that costs thousands of dollars a year. PAs have the capacity to move into a different area of medicine. 

[FBIDoc]

Why not during didactic year so you'll be healed up for clinicals and graduation?