“How can a trauma surgeon help my son recover from a car crash?”

If the doctors you consulted are pediatric neurosurgeons or neurologists, you should trust them. I don't think a general trauma surgeon can offer any more insight into your son's condition.

Hello, thank you for your question, I’m sorry to hear about your son’s crash. A trauma surgeon’s role is to help victims of serious injury survive immediately life-threatening injuries during the hospital stay. However, good trauma care involves a multidisciplinary team, several members of which may be helpful in your son’s recovery. The first step is to make sure brain, spine, and extremity injuries that could be causing his walking difficulties have been ruled out. Hopefully, that is what his doctors have done already if they are telling you he just needs time. A combination of a physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor and a psychologist who specializes in trauma care would be very valuable to your son’s recovery. Any level 1 and most level 2 trauma centers would have those resources available. Hope this information is helpful to you.

In most cases the expertise of the trauma surgeon is best utilized in the initial treatment of the trauma patient. As time goes by and the patient is discharged often most help with come from other experts and fiends just as primary care, physical therapy etc

I’m sorry that your son was in an accident. It is terribly upsetting.
Seeing a trauma surgeon would be helpful for management of physical injuries and referrals for others to assist. However, I do recommend some psychological therapy for your son if he hasn’t seen someone before. Accidents can also cause emotional trauma and a stress response that needs attention. Trauma surgeons do not usually have this area of expertise but may be able to find someone who does. Make sure you choose providers who specialize in children.

Yes, your son should be in pediatric trauma center. Trauma is a unique condition. The management is foreign to most physician's who don't regularly deal with severe trauma. A pediatric trauma center will have doctors, nurses, and therapists with the expertise to deal with is problems and special resources for rehabing trauma patients.


Edward Lineen, MD

I am sorry to read about your son. A Trauma Surgeon specializes in the initial evaluation of an injured patient and management of their injuries. In some cases, the Trauma Surgeon might consult a specialist too. I suggest that your son be thoroughly evaluated by one and have images of his spine (such as a CT or MRI) and pelvis/legs if that hasn’t been done thus far

Recommend consultation with neuropsychologist that will be very helpful

No, a trauma surgeon treats his initial injuries. You need to take him to a good rehab facility and psych consultation.