process used to move trauma
patients to the hospital. Under
this tiered response system,
regular ambulance/paramedic
teams carry out most transfers,
but a MEDStar team, which is
composed of both paramedics
and physicians, is used for
high-level trauma transfers.
Interestingly, paramedics are
equipped to initiate red blood
cell transfusions in the field. I
spoke at the morning conference
about pelvic trauma and
discussed the Denver Health
trauma team’s algorithm of care
for multiply injured patients.
My host at RAH, Christopher
Dobbins, MB, BS, FRACS,
arranged my trauma surgery
program visit at the RACS.
On the first full day of the
conference, I gave a lecture
on Management of the Open
Abdomen in 2017 as part of the
Trauma on the Cutting Edge
session. My talk included the
topics of temporary abdominal
closure, enteral nutrition in
the open abdomen, peritoneal
resuscitation, and sequential
fascial closure techniques. Other
speakers discussed rib fracture
fixation, junctional trauma, and
the Adelaide experience with
resuscitative thoracotomy. That
evening I attended the Women
in Surgery networking event and
had a delightful conversation
with the current leader, Melissa
Bochner, MB, BS, MS, FRACS,
and the incoming leader, Pecky
De Silva, MB, BS, FRACS.
On successive days of the
Congress, I gave two additional
lectures. First, I delivered the
ACS lecture on Hemorrhage
Control in Complex Pelvic
Fractures. ACS President
Courtney M. Townsend, Jr.,
MD, FACS, attended the lecture,
and Professor Civil introduced
me. My final lecture of the
Congress, Blunt Cerebrovascular
Injuries, was presented during
the joint Trauma and Vascular
Surgery session. Following my
talk, incoming RACS president
John Batten, FRACS, graciously
acknowledged my contributions
to the Congress meeting.
On to Sydney
Following the week in Adelaide
for the RACS Congress, we
enjoyed some sightseeing en route
to Sydney. We drove along the
southern coastline of Australia
to Melbourne, stopping along
the Great Ocean Road to admire
different limestone formations,
including The Twelve Apostles,
The Loch Ard Gorge, The Bay
of Martyrs, and London Bridge.
Arriving in Sydney was joyous
for two reasons. First, I had
never before been to Sydney. It
is simply a wondrous city filled
with the iconic Sydney Opera
House, Circular Quay, and
many other fascinating sights.
Second, my parents and our
daughter arrived to join us for
the final portion of our trip.
While my family was
recovering from a bit of jet