July 23--EL PASO -- For another two weeks, the doctors at the El Paso Orthopaedic Surgery Group can catch their breath and brace for the storm ahead.
Since 1984 the local group of surgeons has provided care for UTEP athletics, and when the athletes in those programs begin reporting Aug. 4, the EPOSG will conduct physicals.
And almost on cue, a day later when practice begins, they will start seeing players under less favorable circumstances.
"You can't deny the fact that football is a collision sport with faster, stronger athletes," said surgeon Luis Urrea II, one of five doctors in the 28-person group that does the bulk of the sports surgeries and basic triage. "They are bigger and stronger than they were in the past and there will be injuries based on that."
The trail that leads athletes --football players most commonly, followed by women's soccer players -- from the field or court or track and to the operating table begins with Dawn Hearn's UTEP training staff.
From there, a doctor with the orthopaedic group is at practice through the middle of the week and at every game to take the next look at them and decide where to go.
"In theory, we all take care of the team, but as far as the majority of team coverage, basic triage stuff, there are four or five of us," Dr. David Mansfield said.
"We all get along so well with the training staff. We see the injured athletes, but we don't have the insight the trainers do, how we should approach him with his injury. We know
how to fix the knee but we don't have a grasp of how he's going to take it the rest of the season.
"And they are much better at explaining to the coaches why they can't heal faster."
In a typical month, they may see 100 injured athletes. Surgeries, on the other hand, are wildly variable from season to season. Last year the football team had a handful, the year before that it was a horrific 21 surgeries.
"It kind of cycles," Hearn said. "Lately it's been a lot more shoulders than knees. This is my 23rd football season and they've never had a surgery fail."
The El Paso Orthopaedic Surgery Group also deals with New Mexico State athletes and runs a free clinic on Saturdays during the high school football season to help those athletes, who more likely do not have health insurance.
"Some of these kids have no access to medical care except for the trainers," said Mansfield, who estimates they can get anywhere from 10 to 20 high school players on a given Saturday from as far away as Sierra Blanca. "It can cost (uninsured athletes) a lot of money to figure out what's wrong with them without these clinics."
As for surgeries on UTEP athletes, they tend to fall into two categories: Those that happen right away and those that get postponed until the end of the year. A large group of players fighting through pain are queued up the day after the last game.
"If you can play and you're not doing further damage, as long as you can perform at your level, you can go," Mansfield said. "Obviously there are certain injuries that need to be taken care of right away -- spinal injuries, neck injuries -- others you take care at the end. It all depends on the individual and the position."
Because of that the end of the fall just means an increase in business.
"Christmas vacation doesn't mean anything to us," surgeon Bob Bell said.
Most of the surgeries are at the El Paso Specialty Hospital, consistently ranked as the top hospital in Texas by the Hospital Review.
The surgeons are in a different end of the sports industry than coaches, but in the end, their motivations for choosing their career aren't all that different.
"We practice medicine and we can still take part in athletics without hurting ourselves," Urrea said. "We help student athletes grow and mature."
Bret Bloomquist may be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; 546-6359
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