Arthur Lauretano, MD, Author at Arthur M. Lauretano, MD, MS, FACS

This is Why I Call it The Summer of Hate

September 18, 2017 by Arthur Lauretano, MD 1 Comment

The “Summer of Hate” is coming to a close. That’s what I have dubbed the summer of 2017: the “Summer of Hate.”

The 1967 “Summer of Love” has had its fiftieth anniversary commemorated by the “Summer of Hate.” This was a summer that saw Neo-Nazis invade the parks and the streets to “take back America.” These haters insult the memory of the immigrants who helped build our great nation and threaten the very existence of the United States of America. This also was a summer that saw one or more of the counter-protesters reportedly choose urine as their weapon of civil disobedience. Finally, it was a summer in which the possible repeal of DACA could mean the loss of people whose future contributions to our country may be the true mechanism by which America maintains its greatness.

This is the Reason Losing A Child Affects Us All

June 12, 2017 by Arthur Lauretano, MD 2 Comments

Saturday mornings hold a certain magic for me. I get up early, watch a soccer game, drink my first of many cups of coffee, reflect on my past week, and plan out my weekend to get in as much as possible. Saturday mornings have always held magic. I recall getting up early as a kid, waking up my parents, watching Bugs Bunny and the Road Runner, having a great breakfast from my Mom, and looking forward to accompanying my Dad on a carpentry side job he would do to make some extra money. Later in life, Saturday mornings meant being awakened by my own kids, making breakfast for them, and watching cartoons with them.

This is the Amazing Power of Voice

May 14, 2017 by Arthur Lauretano, MD 2 Comments

Imagine that you awaken tomorrow, and no longer have a voice. You awaken, stretch, and yawn, but there is not any sound. There’s only the motion of your mouth. You clear your eyes, sit at the edge of the bed, and clear your throat. You even attempt to cough. But nothing comes out, save for the sound of air escaping as if the air in a balloon suddenly released from its valve. I’m not talking about run-of-the-mill laryngitis, with a raspy, gravelly hoarse voice, but true voice loss – aphonia, in the parlance of the ear, nose, and throat surgeon.

This is Why Doctor’s Day Truly Means Something

April 2, 2017 by Arthur Lauretano, MD 3 Comments

Walking to Lowell General Hospital this morning, I was greeted by a sign that read, “Happy Doctor’s Day! Honor, Trust, Knowledge.” Now, of course, the cynical will see such a day as another “Hallmark Holiday,” along with Administrative Assistant’s Day, Bosses’ Day, and the like. But it’s always nice to be appreciated, so the sign, as well as my wife’s greeting of “Happy Doctor’s Day” this morning, brought a smile to my face.

This is Why I Hate and How It Makes Me Feel

March 17, 2017 by Arthur Lauretano, MD 4 Comments

I’ll admit I have been a hatemonger. As a matter of fact, I still am.

There. I said it: I am a hatemonger.

I Developed This Hate At The Age of 10

And I have been since 1974. Prior to that, I didn’t understand what hate was – how hurtful it was, and just how devastating it could be. Yet, in 1974, at the age of 10, I developed a hatred that has blazed in my soul and churned in my heart. This is a hatred directed towards a group of people – not just some object or ideology, but flesh and blood people who are in many ways just like me. But they are not like me, or at least I could never appreciate that they could be, because of what they stand for, because of what they profess, and because of what they believe.

Musings on The Fragility of Life

February 27, 2017 by Arthur Lauretano, MD 5 Comments

The overhead paging system implored, “Any available surgeon to ICU STAT” while my ASCOM phone rang, with my team leader nurse telling me, “They need you right away in the ICU.” As far away from the ICU as one could be, I ran across the hospital, trying to move as quickly as I could in OR clogs and on a torn right knee meniscus.

Taking A Deeper Look at Integrity

February 19, 2017 by Arthur Lauretano, MD 1 Comment

Taking A Deeper Look at Integrity

In 1999, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a landmark report, “To Err is Human,” that stunned the medical community and ignited the patient safety movement. The IOM noted that at least 44,000 and as many as 98,000 patients die per year as the result of preventable medical errors.

The IOM numbers did not include errors that result in serious injuries that often leave patients very ill or permanently disabled. Thus, in addition to the nearly 100,000 deaths, the IOM estimated that one million people are injured by errors that occur in hospitals.

Five Lessons You Need To Know About Success

February 13, 2017 by Arthur Lauretano, MD 2 Comments

How do you define success?

The participants postured around the table, poised to present their arguments. Each anxiously awaited their opportunity to have the floor, to demonstrate their claim to the prize. But this was not an economic summit, a political debate, or a treaty negotiation. This was dessert at the local restaurant, where a group of grandparents moved from conversation to competition as they discussed the exploits, endeavors, and successes of their grandchildren.

“My grandson just got a scholarship to his first-choice college.”

“My granddaughter is the captain of her cheerleading squad, and she’s just a junior.”

This is the Reason Surgeons are Getting Mad as a Hatter

February 6, 2017 by Arthur Lauretano, MD 2 Comments

“Mad as a hatter.”

The term actually comes from the toxicity hat makers would develop from exposure to mercury fumes in the 1800s. So, what does this have to do with surgery? Recently Liz Kowalczyk’s “No More Surgical Caps for Surgeons?” September 1, 2016, Boston Globe discussed the anger some surgeons have had over new hospital policies regarding surgical caps worn in the operating room.

For years, most surgeons have worn a surgical cap that sits above the ears. Most are disposable, but some are custom made or personalized cloth caps. I have a Spiderman cap and a cap with musical notes all over it. The concern more recently has been the amount of hair left uncovered, and the potential risk of infection from this hair.

How We Can All Find A Way to Collaborate Politically

January 29, 2017 by Arthur Lauretano, MD 1 Comment

I sat at the conference table, listening to both sides of the argument. The interventional radiologists presented their position, noting that they have been the exclusive providers of endovascular procedures in our region. Across from them, the young vascular surgeons respectfully countered that their training included endovascular procedures, and that they had every intention of performing them. The interventional radiologists rebutted, stating that in other institutions, a trend was developing in which their discipline was eventually completely losing this case volume to the vascular surgeons. They were losing what could be seen as a turf war.