61 Year Old Dr. Willilam Krissoff enlisted after son's death

Orthopedic Surgeons Treat ‘Signature’ War Wounds In IraqBy MedHeadlines • Mar 6th, 2008 • Category: Lifestyle, Odd MedNews, Orthopedics, Surgery
After learning that his 25-year-old son had been killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq, Dr. William Krissoff left his orthopedic practice in Nevada and signed up with the Navy Medical Corp Reserves. The 61 year old surgeon is part of a growing number of orthopedic surgeons who are committed to going to Iraq to help treat the devastating musculoskeletal injuries that have become the “signature” wounds in the war.

In a report presented Wednesday at the 75th Annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, Dr. Kissoff and his colleagues described the unique challenges posed by the injuries in this war. “Modern war produces devastating high energy wounds,” explained Dr. D.C. Covey, chairman of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Naval Medical Center in San Diego. “Whether due to rocket propelled grenades, bombs or improvised explosive devices, the wounds are extremely challenging to treat.”

Due to improvements in body armor which safeguard the head and torso, military orthopedic surgeons are seeing a group of extremity wounds that were not frequently seen in soldiers from previous conflicts. Seven out of ten people who sustain battlefield injuries suffer from musculoskeletal trauma.

“The field of regenerative medicine offers great potential to improve the treatment of patients with severe war injuries,” said Dr. Covey. Military orthopedic surgeons agree that additional research and resources are needed to further advance orthopedic care for the severely injured to improve their chances of living a full life.

Source: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)

http://medheadlines.com/2008/03/06/orthopedic-surgeons-
treat-signature-war-wounds-in-iraq/

Truckee physician commits to combat after eldest son is killed in Iraq

Guidance from his sons
By Andrew Cristancho, Sierra Sun Staff Writer
» More from Andrew Cristancho, Sierra Sun Staff Writer
12:01 a.m. PT Dec 8, 2007

There's a determination in Bill Krissoff's voice. It is conveyed with a calm cadence that cracks once with emotion as he speaks of his son, a Marine lieutenant whose injuries from an Iraqi roadside bomb couldn't be repaired in time.

Now Krissoff's Truckee office is shuttered. His wife has come to terms with his nearing departure. All that is left for Krissoff, a 61-year-old orthopedic surgeon, is to head to Iraq where young Marines, broken from battle, will be tended by his experienced hands.

Marine 1st Lt. Nathan Krissoff's death, only a year past, galvanized his father's determination to go to war as a healer.

At a time when most successful doctors his age are settling into retirement, the fit surgeon is making one of the most monumental decisions of his life and heading to war.

In his sixth decade, Krissoff, who could pass for 41, squares his chin and with large eyes looking at a point in the distance, proudly speaks of his son.

Fathers usually inspire sons into action, to achieve life goals. But in this family that relationship was turned upside down when Dr. Krissoff received news of his older son's death.

Nathan Krissoff died on Dec. 9, 2006, in Al Anbar province. He was 25.

Now the fallen Marine's father is committed to a mission, one that carries even more than the memory of Nathan. Krissoff's youngest son, Austin, is also an officer in the Corps.
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http://www.theunion.com/article/20071208/NEWS/112080178