Summary Report for:
29-1242.00 - Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric
Diagnose and perform surgery to treat and prevent rheumatic and other diseases in the musculoskeletal system.
Sample of reported job titles: General Surgeon, Hand Surgeon, Orthopaedic Surgeon, Orthopedic Surgeon, Physician, Surgeon
This title represents an occupation for which data collection is currently underway.
Tasks | Technology Skills | Tools Used | Detailed Work Activities | Credentials | Wages & Employment | Job Openings | Additional Information
Tasks
- Analyze patient's medical history, medication allergies, physical condition, and examination results to verify operation's necessity and to determine best procedure.
- Conduct research to develop and test surgical techniques that can improve operating procedures and outcomes related to musculoskeletal injuries and diseases.
- Diagnose bodily disorders and orthopedic conditions and provide treatments, such as medicines and surgeries, in clinics, hospital wards, or operating rooms.
- Diagnose or treat disorders of the musculoskeletal system.
- Direct and coordinate activities of nurses, assistants, specialists, residents, and other medical staff.
- Examine instruments, equipment, and operating room to ensure sterility.
- Examine patient to obtain information on medical condition and surgical risk.
- Follow established surgical techniques during the operation.
- Manage surgery services, including planning, scheduling and coordination, determination of procedures, or procurement of supplies and equipment.
- Operate on patient's musculoskeletal system to correct deformities, repair injuries, prevent and treat diseases, or improve or restore patient's functions.
- Order and interpret the results of laboratory tests and diagnostic imaging procedures.
- Prepare case histories.
- Prescribe preoperative and postoperative treatments and procedures, such as sedatives, diets, antibiotics, or preparation and treatment of the patient's operative area.
- Provide consultation and surgical assistance to other physicians and surgeons.
- Refer patient to medical specialist or other practitioners when necessary.
Technology Skills
- Graphics or photo imaging software — Computer imaging software
- Human resources software — Human resources management system HRMS
- Medical software — Epic Systems
; MEDITECH software
; Robotic surgery software; Three-dimensional 3D virtual surgery software (see all 9 examples)
- Operating system software — Microsoft Windows
Hot Technology — a technology requirement frequently included in employer job postings.
Tools Used
- Abdominal retractors
- Amputation retractors
- Arterial line catheters
- Automated external defibrillators AED or hard paddles — Automated external defibrillators AED; Internal defibrillators
- Autotransfusion units — Cell savers
- Blood recovery and delivery systems — Autologous blood recovery systems
- Bronchoscopes or accessories — Bronchoscopes
- Cardiac output CO monitoring units or accessories — Hemodynamic monitors
- Cardiovascular or thoracic retractors — IMA retractors; Thoracic retractors
- Central venous catheters — Subclavian lines
- Cervical retractors
- Colposcopes or vaginoscopes or accessories — Colposcopes
- Cryosurgery equipment or accessories — Cryoprobes; Cryosurgery units
- Cystourethroscopes — Cystoscopes; Flexible ureteroscopes; Rigid ureteroscopes
- Desktop computers
- Diagnostic or interventional vascular catheters or sets — Pulmonary artery catheters
- Digital cameras
- Ear retractors
- Electrocardiography EKG units — Electrocardiography EKG machines
- Electrosurgical or electrocautery equipment — Argon beam coagulators; Biopolar cautery equipment; Electrosurgery units; Harmonic scalpels (see all 5 examples)
- Endoscopic clamp or dissector or grasper or forceps — Laparascopic graspers
- Endoscopic insufflation or distention units or accessories — Endoscopic insufflators
- Endoscopic video cameras or recorders or adapters or accessories — Endoscopic video cameras
- Eyemagnets for ophthalmic surgery — Eye magnets
- Facial shields — Protective eye shields
- Flexible endoscopes or accessories or related products — Flexible fiberoptic endoscopes
- Gastrointestinal retractors
- Heart and lung machines or accessories — Cardiopulmonary bypass pumps; Heart and lung machines
- Intravenous tubing with catheter administration kits — Intravenous IV equipment
- Laparoscopes or laparoscopic telescopes — Laparascopes
- Lip retractors
- Lung retractors
- Medical staff isolation or surgical masks — Surgical masks
- Medical stapler for external use — Skin staplers
- Medical stapler for internal use — Bowel stapling equipment
- Medical ultrasound or doppler or pulse echo or echography units for general diagnostic use — Diagnostic ultrasound equipment
- Medical x ray units for general diagnostic use — Portable x ray machines
- Nerve retractors
- Operating room patient fracture tables or orthopedic tables or accessories or related products — External fixators; Fracture tables
- Operating room patient positioning devices or accessories — Mayfield headrests
- Operating room patient procedure tables or accessories or related products — Andrews tables
- Ophthalmic retractors
- Ophthalmic surgery instrument sets — Vitrector sets
- Oral retractors
- Orthopedic retractors
- Oxygen therapy delivery system products accessories or its supplies — Oxygen administration equipment
- Patient controlled analgesia infusion pumps — Patient controlled analgesia PCA pumps
- Periosteotomes
- Personal computers
- Plastic surgery retractors
- Pulse oximeter units — Pulse oximeters
- Radiosurgical gamma knife units or scintillators — Radiosurgical gamma knives
- Rectal retractors
- Resectoscopes
- Short wave diathermy units — Diathermy equipment
- Skin retractors
- Spine or neuro retractors — Cervical spine retractors
- Sternum retractors — Sternal retractors
- Surgical bone cutting forceps — Bone-cutting forceps
- Surgical bone hand saws or wire saws or saw handles — Surgical hand saws
- Surgical calipers or rulers — Surgical calipers; Surgical rulers
- Surgical chisels or gouges — Bone chisels
- Surgical clamps or clips or forceps or accessories — Dressing forceps; Sponge forceps; Tumor forceps; Vascular clips (see all 40 examples)
- Surgical curettes or loops — Surgical curettes
- Surgical dermatomes or dermabraders or dermameshers or accessories — Dermatomes; Padgett dermatomes; Zimmer dermatomes
- Surgical dilators or accessories — Surgical dilators
- Surgical drapes — Sterile drapes
- Surgical drivers or its parts or accessories — Surgical hand drivers
- Surgical elevators or levers — Surgical elevators
- Surgical extractors — Stone extractors
- Surgical gloves
- Surgical hammers or mallets — Surgical mallets
- Surgical irrigation or suction handpiece or cannula or tip — Suction tips
- Surgical irrigation sets or accessories — Irrigation tubing; Surgical irrigation sets
- Surgical lasers or accessories — Carbon dioxide CO2 lasers; Holmium lasers; Laser dopplers; Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet Nd:YAG lasers
- Surgical lighted fiberoptic retractors — Surgical fiberoptic retractors
- Surgical lithotripters or accessories — Ultrasonic lithotripters
- Surgical microscopes or loops or magnifiers or accessories — Ceiling mounted microscopes; ENT microscopes; Portable surgical microscopes; Surgical microscopes
- Surgical needle holders for general use — Surgical needle holders
- Surgical nerve stimulators or accessories — Surgical nerve stimulators
- Surgical nippers
- Surgical or endoscopic catheters or catheterization kits or drainage bags — Endoscopic catheters
- Surgical perfusion catheters or connectors or accessories — Balloon perfusion catheters
- Surgical pneumatic or battery or electric saws or drills or pin drivers or accessories — Craniotome drills; Sternal saws; Surgical power drills; Surgical power saws (see all 7 examples)
- Surgical pneumatic or electric tourniquets or accessories — Surgical tourniquets
- Surgical power equipment sets or accessories — Hip arthroplasty robots; Robotic arms; Surgical robots
- Surgical probes or directors — Tactile probes
- Surgical punches or punch holder or accessories — Biopsy punches
- Surgical rake retractors — Rigid rake retractors
- Surgical rasps
- Surgical retractors for general use — Surgical retractors
- Surgical rongeurs — Bone ronguers
- Surgical scalpels or knives or blades or trephines or accessories — Surgical scalpels
- Surgical scissors — Enterotomy scissors; Thoracic scissors; Tonsil scissors; Uterine scissors (see all 5 examples)
- Surgical smoke evacuators or accessories — Operating room smoke evacuators
- Surgical specula
- Surgical spreaders — Rib spreaders
- Surgical suction machines or vacuum extractors or ultrasonic surgical aspirators or regulators or accessories — Cavitron ultrasonic surgical aspirators CUSA; Suction machines; Surgical aspirators; Wells Johnson aspirators
- Surgical taps
- Surgical tourniquets or vascular occluders or ligators or accessories — Vascular occluders
- Surgical trocars for general use or accessories — Surgical trocars
- Surgical urology retractors or its accessories — Urology retractors
- Suture needles — Surgical suture needles
- Tissue retractors
- Tracheal retractors
- Urological surgical instrument sets — Optical urethrotomes
- Uterine devices or accessories — Hysteroscopes
- Uterine retractors
- Vascular sequential compression devices or tubing — Sequential compression devices
- Vein harvest kit or system — Endoscope vein harvesting equipment
- Vein retractors
Detailed Work Activities
- Diagnose medical conditions.
- Operate on patients to treat conditions.
- Prescribe medications.
- Advise medical personnel regarding healthcare issues.
- Analyze patient data to determine patient needs or treatment goals.
- Analyze test data or images to inform diagnosis or treatment.
- Assist healthcare practitioners during surgery.
- Conduct research to increase knowledge about medical issues.
- Examine patients to assess general physical condition.
- Follow protocols or regulations for healthcare activities.
- Manage healthcare operations.
- Order medical diagnostic or clinical tests.
- Order medical supplies or equipment.
- Prescribe treatments or therapies.
- Record patient medical histories.
- Refer patients to other healthcare practitioners or health resources.
- Schedule patient procedures or appointments.
- Sterilize medical equipment or instruments.
- Supervise patient care personnel.
- Treat chronic diseases or disorders.
Find occupations related to multiple detailed work activities
Wages & Employment Trends
Median wage data for Surgeons, Except Ophthalmologists.
Employment data for Surgeons, Except Ophthalmologists.
Industry data for Surgeons, Except Ophthalmologists.
Median wages (2019) | $100.00+ hourly, $208,000+ annual |
State wages | |
Local wages | |
Employment (2019) | 39,600 employees |
Projected growth (2019-2029) | ![]() |
Projected job openings (2019-2029) | 1,000 |
State trends | |
Top industries (2019) |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2019 wage data
and 2019-2029 employment projections
.
"Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2019-2029). "Projected job openings" represent openings due to growth and replacement.
Sources of Additional Information
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