When Injuries End a Surgical Career with Otolaryngologist Dr. Melanie Seybt

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by Smart Step Surgical LLC. You can learn about them and schedule a demo via https://www.smartstepsurgical.com/blogs/news/surgical-ergonomic-podcast-promotional-discount

Disclosure: 

Smart Step Surgical is a paid sponsor and the affiliate link above supports the podcast at no cost to you. They also provide our podcast listeners with a discount (20%), so we hope that it is a win-win!

Episode details:

What starts as "just another ache" can gradually become a career-ending injury. Whether you're early in training or decades into practice, this episode is a reminder that taking care of your body isn't a luxury—it's an investment in your career longevity. 

About Our Guest

Dr. Melanie Seybt is a board-certified Otolaryngologist with fellowship training in head and neck endocrine surgery.  She has been on faculty at the Medical College of Georgia as an Assistant professor where she also served as the co-director of the MCG Thyroid Center. She subsequently practiced as a high volume thyroid and parathyroid surgeon with Palmetto ENT and Allergy in South Carolina. After years in practice, repetitive work-related shoulder injuries ultimately forced her into early retirement from clinical work. She now advocates for greater awareness of surgical ergonomics, career longevity, and protecting surgeons from preventable musculoskeletal injuries. 

In this episode, you'll learn:

•  Why persistent shoulder pain should never be dismissed as "part of being a surgeon." 
•  How repetitive overhead work contributed to multiple rotator cuff tears and failed repairs. 
•  The hidden ergonomic challenges faced by many ENT and endocrine surgeons. 
•  Why women surgeons may face additional ergonomic risks related to stature, equipment design, and midlife hormonal changes. 
•  How small ergonomic changes, such as proper positioning and height adjustments, might reduce long-term injury risk. 
•  Why surgeons often delay seeking care, underestimate recovery time, and continue working despite significant injury. 
•  The emotional impact of losing a surgical identity and navigating medical retirement. 
•  What every surgeon should know about disability insurance, documentation, and protecting their future career.

Follow Surgical Ergonomics on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube please reach out to us if you have any suggestions regarding episode ideas and guests or if you'd like to be a guest on the podcast

If you found this episode valuable, please share it with a colleague or your perioperative team to help bring greater awareness to the role of ergonomics in career longevity. If you're enjoying the podcast, I'd be grateful if you left a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your reviews help others discover the show and support our mission of improving the health and longevity of surgeons and proceduralists worldwide.