Dr. Arthur Day on Concussions, Part I: Overview

An accomplished neurosurgeon with nearly four decades of experience in the field of medicine, Dr. Arthur Day possesses an extensive background across a wide range of neurological disciplines. In particular, Dr. Day has accrued a wealth of knowledge and professional experience in the field of sports medicine, which often requires a thorough understanding of athletics. In addition to neurological conditions such as pinched nerves, concussions represent another common sports injury that has received a large share of attention from the players, the media, and members of the medical profession.

From the Latin word concussus, which refers to an event that involves two objects striking together, a concussion is a brain injury that generally occurs when the head comes into hard contact with another object. Inside the protective barrier provided by the skull, the brain is suspended in a bed of cerebrospinal fluid, which cushions it against everyday bumps and jolts and prevents it from crashing against the hard inner surface of the skull. If a person incurs sudden and violent contact to the head, the brain can push through the cerebrospinal fluid and strike the skull, which has the potential to injure the brain.

Although concussions can vary widely in their severity, most concussions share many of the same physical symptoms, including a headache, dizziness, and a loss of balance. More severe concussions can produce a wider range of physical symptoms, including vomiting, double vision, tinnitus, and even convulsions. In some cases, victims of trauma to the head have developed posttraumatic epilepsy, although the exact linkage between structural brain injury and epilepsy is still not fully understood.

Concussions also have the potential to cause damage to a person’s emotional and cognitive faculties. Common cognitive symptoms in the wake of a concussion include difficulty focusing, confusion, general disorientation, slurred speech, and a vacant stare. In some cases, concussion victims experience posttraumatic amnesia, which prevents them from remembering the events leading up to the injury. Similarly, concussions can bring about changes in a person’s emotional state, often causing inappropriate displays of emotion, depression, anxiety, and loss of interest in favorite activities. Such emotional and cognitive symptoms may manifest themselves in the immediate aftermath of the injury, or they may take hours or even days to appear.

Copyright 2012 – Dr Arthur Day Neurosurgeon

News from the American College of Surgeons

Noted neurosurgeon and Vice Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Dr. Arthur Day has held membership in the American College of Surgeons (ACS) since 1981. Dr. Day continues to look forward to new developments in the organization, such as the following:

In May 2011, ACS asked Congress to transition to a new form of physician payment for Medicare doctors. ACS would like the new system to eliminate the sustainable growth rate (SGR), and instead pay physicians fairly for providing quality health care. ACS Executive Director David Hoyt testified in front of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health to give his opinion on the outdated SGR system and to plead the case for a long-term solution. Dr. Hoyt explained that the first step toward Medicare reform is to immediately do away with the current fee-for-service model. He believes that a new payment system would both reduce costs and improve the quality of healthcare services.

In June 2010, the College presented the grand opening of its 10-story office building in Washington, D.C., that houses its Division of Advocacy and Health Policy. This division strives to create and promote public policy initiatives for both surgeons and patients. More than 150 people attended the event, with guests consisting of surgeons, health care professionals, local and federal government employees, and business leaders in the community.

Other news from the organization includes the offering of two ACS Comprehensive General Surgery Review Courses in 2011 through its Division of Education. The courses take place in Chicago, Illinois, in May and June. Concentrated four-day programs will provide a review of general surgery information, presented in case-based and didactic formats. Attendees will use self-assessment materials and electronically provided monthly review modules. General topics slated for coverage include surgery related to the breast, abdomen, and skin and soft tissues, as well as oncology. Additionally, faculty will address the subjects of perioperative care, surgical critical care, and trauma.

Another big event for ACS is the 2011 97th Annual Clinical Congress, which will take place in San Francisco, California, from October 23 to October 27. At the Clinical Congress, surgeons can expect panel sessions titled “Anastomotic Complications in Gastrointestinal Surgery: Bleeding, Leaks, Strictures” and “Advanced Emergency General Surgery: How to Stay Out of Trouble in the OR.” Other sessions will provide information on ethics, geriatric care, practice management, and vascular surgery. Some new topics will also debut at the 2011 Congress, such as “Creation and Maintenance of High Performance Teams in Surgery: An Educational and Operational Strategy” and “‘Meaningful Use’ of Electronic Health Records.” In addition, attendees of the Congress can view scientific exhibits, attend luncheons featuring discussions of difficult surgical cases led by experts in the field, and discuss membership in the organization at Town Hall Meetings.

In June 2010, the College presented the grand opening of its 10-story office building in Washington, D.C., that houses its Division of Advocacy and Health Policy. This division strives to create and promote public policy initiatives for both surgeons and patients. More than 150 people attended the event, with guests consisting of surgeons, health care professionals, local and federal government employees, and business leaders in the community.

Other news from the organization includes the offering of two ACS Comprehensive General Surgery Review Courses in 2011 through its Division of Education. The courses take place in Chicago, Illinois, in May and June. Concentrated four-day programs will provide a review of general surgery information, presented in case-based and didactic formats. Attendees will use self-assessment materials and electronically provided monthly review modules. General topics slated for coverage include surgery related to the breast, abdomen, and skin and soft tissues, as well as oncology. Additionally, faculty will address the subjects of perioperative care, surgical critical care, and trauma.

Another big event for ACS is the 2011 97th Annual Clinical Congress, which will take place in San Francisco, California, from October 23 to October 27. At the Clinical Congress, surgeons can expect panel sessions titled “Anastomotic Complications in Gastrointestinal Surgery: Bleeding, Leaks, Strictures” and “Advanced Emergency General Surgery: How to Stay Out of Trouble in the OR.” Other sessions will provide information on ethics, geriatric care, practice management, and vascular surgery. Some new topics will also debut at the 2011 Congress, such as “Creation and Maintenance of High Performance Teams in Surgery: An Educational and Operational Strategy” and “‘Meaningful Use’ of Electronic Health Records.” In addition, attendees of the Congress can view scientific exhibits, attend luncheons featuring discussions of difficult surgical cases led by experts in the field, and discuss membership in the organization at Town Hall Meetings.