Maggie McKay (Host): Sports medicine is a huge field and a crucial one, especially to athletes. So today, it's game on with our guest, orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Beau Sasser, who is also Vice Chief Department of Surgery, Brunswick Campus and Medical Director of the Sports Medicine Program. We'll be talking about getting athletes on the court off the bench and back on the field.

Welcome to Health Matters, a podcast from Southeast Georgia Health System. I'm your host, Maggie McKay. Thank you so much for being here today, Dr. Sasser. Would you please introduce yourself?

Beau Sasser, MD: Thank you, Maggie. I appreciate being here and being invited to talk. Dr. Beau Sasser, I am an orthopedic surgeon with a fellowship in Sports Medicine at Southeast Georgia Health System.

Host: So, you and your family have lived in Southeast Georgia for a long time. Tell me about your history and what led you to returning after you completed your residency.

Beau Sasser, MD: I was born and raised in the Golden Isles. I live on St. Simons Island. Actually, my family is four generations in this area. My one side of the family started a men's clothing store that, until recently, had many years, started in the 1900s. It was Oakland's Men's Clothing and is now a great restaurant called Tipsy McSways downtown. And then, on the other side of the family, my great grandfather owned a hotel down by the St. Simon's Island Pier. And so, we have lived here before there was even a bridge over to St. Simon's. I went to school here, the local high school, Glynn Academy. And then, when I graduated from Glynn Academy, I went to Washington University in St. Louis, spent some time there before I went to the Medical College of Georgia. I did my orthopedic training. I did a fellowship in Kansas City.

And then, by that time, I was married. I had three boys. And so, my wife and I looked around and said, "Well, where do we want to be?" We had offers in Charlotte, Atlanta, other places, but we thought the best thing to do would be to come back home with my family and raise my boys there.

Host: How cool is that? Is a lot of your family still there?

Beau Sasser, MD: They are, a lot of my family, a lot of friends. It's a small community. I tell my boys there's always someone that knows who you are and where you're from and that's a good thing.

Host: So, don't get into mischief.

Beau Sasser, MD: Don't get into mischief, but also someone's always there to help you out.

Host: That's true. So, you're no stranger to being on the field with athletes, having worked with the Kansas City Chiefs. Tell me about your experience with the Chiefs and how it relates to your current work.

Beau Sasser, MD: That was a great year. And there was a lot of good information that I gained from that fellowship. That is the elite level athletes. So, you worked with them probably three to five days a week. I went to all the games. I went to the practices. I spent time at the NFL Combine working with other great surgeons. And what I gained more than anything was how to take care of these athletes on the field. And so, when I came back down to Brunswick and started working with the local high schools, my main goal was to keep these kids safe. And I know you have questions about that, but that's the whole reason that I enjoy what I do, is to see these kids, keep them safe, get them well, and then get them back out on the field. And so, working with the Chiefs, you're up that upper echelon of trainers, doctors, physical therapists,. And so, I gained a great deal of information from those guys.

Host: Nothing like experience, right? Hands on. If an athlete's injured on the field, what can parents expect in terms of the care that their athlete will receive on the field and then the next steps after that?

Beau Sasser, MD: We actually work with all the trainers. The hospital that I work with, Southeast Georgia Health System has an affiliation with all of the trainers. And so, it's a really good network. I tell the trainers, they are my eyes and ears. Because when any of the athletes get hurt in any sport, it's not just football, which everybody always thinks about, but it's football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, track, cross country, all those sports, they always have somebody to call. And so, that first communication should be with the trainer. And the trainer can assess the patient, start treatment. And then, they can discuss with the parents where they need to go from there. It could be go to an urgent care, or they can call me and see if I can get in and I can see the athlete. And ,so it's a pretty streamlined type process to get that patient from injury on the field to starting treatment, being assessed properly, and then starting treatment.

Host: Dr. Sasser, what about injury prevention for these students? Any tips?

Beau Sasser, MD: This is going to go probably away from sort of the norm. But for a lot of these athletes, they work really hard. They really do. A lot of these kids work very hard. And so, one thing I would suggest more than anything is that they get enough rest, because a lot of these kids, they have school and they have to come home. I have four boys and three of my boys, the older boys played travel soccer. They were, you know, on travel teams. We practiced down in Jacksonville three and four days a week. I drank the Kool Aid just like a lot of other parents. And it's hard on them. It's just like all of us, you work real hard, you start to burn the candle at both ends. So, first and foremost, these kids need to rest. They need to have good nutrition when they can. At the same time, they need to have time to be kids. A lot of these kids love their sport, they really do. And as a parent, our job is also to pull them back and say, "Why don't you get on your bike and go for a bike ride and visit a friend? Or why don't you go fishing down at the pier or something like that?" So, I think it's the prevention. Once they get the injury, it's hard to correct that. To shut these kids down, it's hard to do because most of them, they want to play. They want to be on the multiple teams. they want to get better. They're very competitive. So, my job as a doctor, my job as a father is to make sure that my kid gets enough rest, gets enough mental rest, gets fed, and diversifies their activities and so, it allows that part of their body that they're focused on, the throwing, the kicking, and so forth, time to heal.

Host: And you mentioned once they get the injury. So, any tips for athletes who might be rehabbing and they just can't wait to play?

Beau Sasser, MD: That's a good way to put it, because I don't believe in shutting them down unless they really have an injury where you have to keep them if they're a pitcher and they have a bad shoulder injury and they can't do something else. But a lot of times, we can take a pitcher and put them on first base, or if they're not having problems hitting, they can be a designated hitter, or if they're playing soccer, they can play a different position. So, I like to keep them participating in their sport. But during that time, they need to be actively pursuing treatment. A lot of these athletes and even a lot of the parents will say, "Well, I'll just shut them down for two weeks, and it'll get better." Well, one, you haven't quite figured out maybe what was going wrong and trying to correct that. And two, they're not actively pursuing treatment, and to pursue treatment that allows them to heal and then get back to those sports-related activities.

Host: Can you think of a specific example of an injured athlete and their healing journey back onto the field?

Beau Sasser, MD: I was thinking about that, because this is my 19th year in practice. And so, I have quite a few athletes that have played. I have one or two that have gone to the NFL. I have had quite a few that have gone to D1 sports. And so, I was trying to think of a good story. And then, the last weekend or two weeks ago, actually, there was opening day of baseball on St. Simon's. And it's a real great community event. We actually, all the teams, meet down by the pier, the little downtown area. And all the kids form up in their teams, and they have their banners, and they walk down to the baseball park. And usually, there's the director or there's a pastor who will give a short prayer on the beginning of opening day. And this little girl caught my eye, because I had actually fixed her elbow a few weeks before, and she was so worried that she wouldn't get to play softball on opening day. And so, as I walked by, she basically kind of tugged on my arm and kind of moved her elbow back and forth and said that she was ready to play. And so, that was a good moment for me.

Host: That's so sweet. Let's talk about mature athletes. Because you know what? Students and professionals are not the only ones out there who get injuries. There's parents playing with their kids and weekend warriors, and they've got concerns too regarding injury prevention. So, what tips do you have for mature athletes?

Beau Sasser, MD: And I think it's hard. We all have our jobs. You know, we work nine to five. We try to get up early to do things. You try to get home a little late. And I find consistency is more important than anything. It can be, when you get home every other day, do a short 15-minute workout or take your dog for a long walk, because what happens with all of us is we get on the exercise kick and so you go to the class and I find that these people will get injured after about a month, four to six weeks. They try too hard to get back to their 18-year-old shape too quick, too fast. And so, you have to be consistent.

If you have any bad habits, that's a good time to correct them, you know, watch the smoking and the diet and all those kind of things. But then also, make sure that when you're working out, start with light weights or light cardio, and then work your way up over weeks to months instead of jumping in there. And if you do get hurt, give yourself some time, modify what you're doing, try something else. Use ice, anti-inflammatories. And if it doesn't turn the corner, give me a call.

Host: What should someone do if they think they might have an injury? What's the difference between being sore and persistent pain? When is it time to see a professional?

Beau Sasser, MD: A lot of times, there is definitely that gray zone. I have people that come and see me and they say they've had an injury for six months and it just hasn't turned the corner. And I was like, "Well, maybe that's a little bit too long. You might want to call a little sooner than later." But then also, there's certain people in certain sports that if they don't get well by three days, they're thinking they need an MRI and everything else. So usually, if you just have soreness, if you're still able to be active and perform that activity, but it's a little sore, or if you've actually done some self-treatment as in iced your shoulder for a couple of days, taken some Aleve, and it hasn't turned the corner after a week or two, that's the time to go in and get it checked. I always say give it at least a week or two of treatment, not ignoring it, but actually doing something. Say, it can be stretching, it can be light exercise. Ice is the best thing you can do. 

Host: Dr. Sasser, if somebody makes an appointment with you, what can they expect during that time?

Beau Sasser, MD: I think they can expect from my staff, the staff will be knowledgeable about orthopedic injuries. They will listen, and I think that's more important than anything. I've told all my staff communication is the best thing. Usually, the patient will tell you what's going on. We like to look at all their other medical issues, and then assess the patients with x-ray or we'll set them up for therapy or MRI. And so, they should have knowledge of their diagnosis and their treatment and their course of treatment by the time they leave.

Host: And depending on the injury, there's probably a lot of choices, non-invasive, innovative, surgical treatment options. What options do you offer at Summit Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Surgery?

Beau Sasser, MD: Through the hospital, we offer physical therapy. Dr. Kelley in our office does offer ultrasound-guided injections, which can include PRP. We also have a new Tenex machine, which is for local tendonitis. And then, you know, the standard antiinflammatories. We also give out diets, stretching, home exercise program.

Host: In closing, is there anything else you'd like to add that you want people to know?

Beau Sasser, MD: Not that I know of. I just would say if they're still having any issues and they've followed that course, to please give us a call. We would love to help them out.

Host: All right. Awesome. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise and letting us into your world a little bit. It has been a pleasure.

Beau Sasser, MD: Thank you. I appreciate it.

Host: Again, that's Dr. Beau Sasser. And for more information, please visit sghs.org/ortho. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels. And check out the full podcast library for topics of interest to you. I'm Maggie McKay this is Health Matters from Southeast Georgia Health System. Thanks for listening.