From a young age, Dr. Lee England knew he wanted to be a doctor. But it wasn’t until medical school he realized he wanted to be a general surgeon.
England thought he knew his path, as he played wide receiver for coach Johnny Majors and the University of Tennessee.
“I got to know our team orthopedic surgeon as I had injuries while playing,” Lee said. “I thought I really wanted to do ortho. When I was in medical school I realized I didn’t like that surgery and I really liked the idea of general surgery.”
The variety is what attracted him to the field. General surgery includes gallbladder removal, hernias and more.
“It sounds morbid but I like getting elbow deep in,” England said. “The whole notion of putting a pin in a bone is not as appealing as working with gunshot wounds to the abdomen.”
After medical school at Meharry Medical College and a surgical internship at the University of Kentucky, England did his surgical residencies at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville and UAB. England started at Ivy Creek’s Elmore Community Hospital in general surgery in 2000 and soon became chief of surgery.
England has performed surgeries in Wetumpka and at Ivy Creek’s Lake Martin Community Hospital in Dadeville. One surgery to remove a nail required a unique tool.
“I have taken people to the OR and had to go to maintenance to get a hammer, sterilize it to get a nail out of bone,” England said.
England took over as chief of the emergency department when Dr. Gerald Sweeney retired.
“It is a natural progression,” England said. “I like dealing with traumas. A lot of times surgery and the ER go hand in hand. At Vanderbilt and UAB, all traumas are handled by a surgery team. When major traumas come in they call the surgeons.”
Even as chief of surgery, England worked some in the emergency room. Between the OR and ER he has deliveried babies and dealt with major trauma such as gunshot wounds, car wrecks, heart attacks, strokes and construction site injuries.
“We never know what is coming in the door,” England said. “It is important to know we can handle anything emergency wise. It doesn’t mean we will keep it here but we can stabilize anything.”
Starting treatment immediately saves lives. Open heart surgeries might happen at UAB, but you have to get there first.
“We treat people with heart attacks and treat them exactly like they are treated at the bigger hospital ERs like UAB,” England said. “They just need to leave here to get to a cardiologist for definitive care. The initial treatment is the same here as anywhere else.”
After each patient he treats, he takes a quick break and steps into the break room while he waits for another patient to come in. There was one instance where a patient was coming in from a car accident, likely with nothing more than minor injuries.
“We never know what is coming in the door,” England said. “It is important to know we can handle anything emergency wise. It doesn’t mean we will keep it here but we can stabilize anything.”
England deals with it all in the emergency department. Patients come in with the flu and other ailments that many will seek out a general practice physician for.
“Surgical patients have medical problems,” England said. “Not all medical patients have surgical problems.”
England has had to manage things such as diabetes and other issues as a surgeon. Those conditions must be considered for surgical treatments.
“I get to practice medicine and surgery in the ER,” England said. “I deal with medical problems in addition to surgical issues.”
