Front Line Surgery: Mastering Military Trauma Care – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode of Front Line Surgery: Mastering Military Trauma Care, hosts Drs. Jeff Conner and Jay Yelon are joined by Drs. Matt Martin and Luke Neff to discuss the critical aspects of pediatric trauma care in a deployed military setting. They emphasize the importance of preparation, improvisation, and understanding the unique challenges faced when treating children in trauma situations. Key topics include initial assessment, resuscitation techniques, vascular access, damage control resuscitation, hypothermia management, and surgical approaches to hemorrhage control. The conversation also highlights the need for military surgeons to be equipped with pediatric supplies and knowledge to effectively care for injured children in combat zones. 

Keywords: pediatric trauma, military surgery, resuscitation, vascular access, damage control, hypothermia management, surgical techniques, deployment preparation

Literature:
ACS M Curriculum: Pediatric Surgery Module

In this episode of Front Line Surgery: Mastering Military Trauma Care, hosts Drs. Joshua Dilday and Matt Eckert engage with COL Jennifer Gurney, MD, to explore the critical role of military communication and lingo in trauma care. The conversation dives into the operational challenges surgeons face when translating medical realities into terms commanders can act upon. COL Gurney shares insights from her multiple deployments on learning to “speak two languages”—medical and operational—and how credibility, clarity, and humility are vital for bridging the gap between surgical expertise and command decision-making. 

Keywords: Military communication, operational lingo, trauma surgery leadership, combat casualty care, bridging medical and operational language, credibility in military medicine, risk communication, surgeon preparation, military command relationships, surgical mentorship

Literature:
Front Line Surgery: A Practical Approach

In this episode of Front Line Surgery: Mastering Military Trauma Care, hosts Drs. Joshua Dilday and Matt Eckert are joined by COL Jennifer Gurney, MD, and Dr. Jason R. Bingham, MD to explore the essential lessons every surgeon wishes they knew before their first deployment. The discussion highlights the critical importance of preparation, team dynamics, humility, and communication in the high-stakes environment of combat casualty care. Through realistic deployment scenarios, the panel reflects on challenges faced by early-career surgeons: meeting teams for the first time downrange, handling mass casualty events within hours of arrival, and adapting to austere, resource-limited environments.

Literature Mentioned:
Top Knife: The Art and Craft of Trauma Surgery
Emergency War Surgery
JTS Guidelines

Keywords:
Military deployment preparation, team dynamics, combat casualty care, trauma surgery readiness, communication in military medicine, humility in leadership, soft skills for surgeons, operational challenges, surgical mentorship, resource-limited trauma care

In this episode of Frontline Surgery: Mastering Military Trauma Care, Drs. Joshua Dilday and Jeff Conner are joined by COL (ret) John Holcomb, MD to examine how modern drone warfare is reshaping battlefield injury patterns and the challenges facing deployed trauma teams. Drawing on recent experience working alongside Ukrainian clinicians and multinational partners, Dr. Holcomb discusses the evolving mechanisms of injury associated with drone-delivered explosives and the operational realities of providing care in contested environments.

The conversation explores how fragment injuries from aerial munitions are producing different anatomic injury patterns compared with previous conflicts, including increased head, neck, and upper extremity trauma. Dr. Holcomb highlights the importance of understanding mechanisms of injury, recognizing blast-related complications such as tympanic membrane rupture and traumatic brain injury, and managing patients with extensive fragment wounds.

The episode also addresses the operational constraints affecting casualty evacuation and resuscitation timelines in drone-dominated battlefields. With evacuation delays ranging from hours to significantly longer, frontline teams must adapt their approach to hemorrhage control, resuscitation, and resource management. Dr. Holcomb emphasizes that preparation for these environments requires both clinical readiness and system-level training, noting that high-volume trauma experience and strong team coordination remain essential for military medical teams preparing for deployment.

Keywords: Blast Injury, Drone Warfare, Military Trauma Care, Fragment Injuries, Combat Casualty Care, Damage Control Resuscitation, Battlefield Evacuation, Trauma Systems, Military Surgery, Austere Trauma Care

In this episode of Frontline Surgery: Mastering Military Trauma Care, Col (ret) Jeremy Cannon, MD joins hosts Drs. Joshua Dilday and Rachel Russo to break down the realities of managing a mass casualty (MASCAL) event. The discussion focuses on battlefield triage systems, including the 10-second triage tool, priority categorization (P1, P2, P3, expectant), and rapid decision-making under extreme resource constraints, limited blood supply, and uncertain evacuation timelines. 

Key topics include damage control surgery, hemorrhage control, tourniquet application, TCCC principles, walking blood bank activation, junctional and torso trauma prioritization, resuscitative thoracotomy decision thresholds, prolonged field care considerations, and blood product logistics. Dr. Cannon emphasizes the importance of a designated triage officer, patient accountability systems (PAD tracking), communication roles, and maintaining situational awareness during combat casualty surges. 

The episode also explores military–civilian trauma system integration, disaster preparedness exercises, leadership under pressure, expectant category decision-making, and the emotional and ethical challenges of battlefield surgery. Preparation, rehearsal, shared mental models, and disciplined surgical leadership are highlighted as essential to optimizing survival in high-acuity combat trauma and mass casualty scenarios

Keywords:
mass casualty, trauma surgery, military medicine, triage, leadership, combat casualty care, surgical skills, resource management

Literature Mentioned:
Front Line Surgery: A Practical Approach
Ten Second Triage Tool
Disaster Management and Emergency Preparedness Course
STOP THE BLEED Program

In this episode of Frontline Surgery: Mastering Military Trauma Care, hosts Drs. Rachel Russo and Jay Yelon discuss the critical aspects of military burn care with Colonel (ret.) Lee Cancio, MD, a leading expert in the field. The conversation covers essential topics such as the preparation for managing burns in deployed settings, the principles of burn resuscitation, the importance of situational awareness, and the necessity of effective wound care. Dr. Cancio emphasizes the challenges faced by surgeons in resource-limited environments and the need for teamwork in providing optimal care. The discussion also touches on the potential for increased burn injuries in future conflicts and the importance of triage in managing casualties effectively.

Keywords: military trauma care, burn care, battlefield injuries, resuscitation, wound management, surgical training, emergency care, military medicine, trauma surgery, surgery

Literature Mentioned:
ACS M Curriculum - Burn Module
ABLS:  https://www.ameriburn.org/burn-care-team/education/advance-career/abls
ABLS NOW:  https://www.pathlms.com/american-burn-association

In this episode of Frontline Surgery: Mastering Military Trauma Care, hosts Drs. Rachel Russo and Matt Martin delve into the intricacies of military trauma care with guests Colonel Brian J. Eastridge, MD and Colonel Rachel A. Hight, MD. Discover the challenges and triumphs of operating in a role three military treatment facility, the evolution of battlefield trauma systems, and the future of surgical operations in large-scale conflicts. Join us for an insightful discussion on the unique demands and innovations in military medicine. 

Keywords: Military Trauma Care, Trauma Surgery, Role Three Facility, Battlefield Surgery, Combat Casualty Care, Trauma Systems, Military Medicine, Surgical Operations, Future Conflicts, Medical Readiness, Trauma Leadership, LSCO

In this episode, Drs. Jeff Conner and Jay Yelon speak with COL (ret) Matthew Martin, MD, to discuss the realities of providing surgical care at a Role 2 Medical Treatment Facility. Drawing from extensive deployment experience, Dr. Martin outlines the clinical, operational, and leadership challenges that surgeons encounter in this environment. Topics include the essential mission of damage control surgery, managing trauma care with limited imaging and subspecialty support, strategies for blood product management, preparation for orthopedic and complex injuries, and the critical importance of team cohesion and effective communication.

The episode also highlights best practices for predeployment readiness and continuity of operations. As referenced in the discussion, listeners may access an example “Volume of Experience” handoff document created for a Forward Surgical Team in Afghanistan. 

View “655th Forward Surgical Team Combat Trauma Volume of Experience; Protocols, Practices, and Lessons Learned” here.

Literature Mentioned:
 Front Line Surgery: A Practical Approach
Top Knife: The Art and Craft of Trauma Surgery
Emergency War Surgery 

Keywords: Role 2 MTF, Forward Surgical Team, Damage Control Surgery, Military Trauma Care, Resource-Limited Trauma Care, Walking Blood Bank, Operational Medicine, Trauma Leadership 

In this episode of Front Line Surgery: Mastering Military Trauma Care, hosts Drs. Joshua Dilday and Matt Eckert engage with Col (ret) Jeremy Cannon, MD to explore the critical aspects of damage control surgery in military trauma care. The conversation delves into operational challenges faced by trauma surgeons in combat settings, the principles of damage control surgery, and the importance of adapting civilian practices to austere environments. Dr. Cannon shares innovative solutions for resource-limited situations, common pitfalls to avoid, and emphasizes the significance of experience and preparation for young surgeons. The episode concludes with practical advice for trauma care in unpredictable scenarios.

Literature Mentioned:
Front Line Surgery: A Practical Approach
Top Knife: The Art and Craft of Trauma Surgery
Emergency War Surgery
Rotondo, et al. “Damage Control”: An Approach for Improved Survival In Exsanguinating Penetrating Abdominal Injury
ACS M Curriculum - Damage Control Surgery
ACS M Curriculum - Emergency Resuscitative Thoracotomy
JTS CPG: Emergency Resuscitative Thoracotomy
JTS CPT: Blunt Abdominal Trauma

Keywords: Damage control surgery, military trauma care, trauma surgery principles, combat casualty care, surgical leadership, resource-limited environments, trauma surgeon training, operational challenges, innovative surgical techniques, trauma care preparation

In this episode of Frontline Surgery: Mastering Military Trauma Care, Drs. Joshua Dilday and Jeff Conner discuss the critical aspects of Damage Control Resuscitation (DCR) with expert COL (ret) John Holcomb, MD. The conversation covers the importance of stopping bleeding, the differences between military and civilian trauma care, the necessity of blood availability, and the significance of preparation and teamwork in trauma scenarios. Dr. Holcomb emphasizes the historical context of DCR and the need for young surgeons to be mentally prepared for the challenges they will face in combat situations.

Literature Mentioned:
Hypotensive Resuscitation Strategy Reduces Transfusion Requirements and Severe Postoperative Coagulopathy in Trauma Patients With Hemorrhagic Shock: Preliminary Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial
JTS CPG: Damage Control Resuscitation
JTS CPG: Damage Control Resuscitation in Prolonged Field Care
JTS CPG: Prehospital Blood Transfusion
ACS M Curriculum: DCR Module
ACS M Curriculum: Fresh Whole Blood Module

Keywords: Damage Control Resuscitation, Military Trauma Care, Blood Products, Trauma Surgery, Combat Casualties, Hypotensive Resuscitation, Surgical Preparation, Team Training, Trauma Management, Emergency Medicine