Nick Pappas, MD

Nick Pappas, MD Nick Pappas, MD is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon in New Orleans, LA A New Orleans native, he graduated from St. Martin’s Episcopal School (Metairie, LA).
(1)

Nick Pappas, MD is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with a Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) in hand surgery who specializes in various hand and upper extremity conditions. He then traveled to Princeton University (Princeton, NJ) for college, where he earned a B.A. in Philosophy and pitched for the baseball team. While at Princeton, he played baseball for all four years on a team that

won 2 Ivy League Baseball Championships and made 2 appearances in the NCAA Division I College World Series Tournament. After college, he earned his medical degree from Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN). He then completed an orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA). After residency, he returned to Vanderbilt University to complete a fellowship in Hand, Microvascular, and Upper Extremity Surgery. Dr. Pappas has been in practice for over 10 years. He currently serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at both Tulane University and Louisiana State University. He is also a member of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and serves as a consultant reviewer for the prestigious Journal of Hand Surgery, American. He has an active interest in clinical research with over 30 peer-reviewed publications and multiple textbook chapters to his credit. For a complete up-to-date listing of all Dr. Pappas’s publications, please click the following link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Pappas+n

06/07/2026

Surgeons like the OR pretty cold 🥶

👉 Most operating rooms are typically kept somewhere around 68-73°F (20-23°C) with humidity often maintained between about 20-60%. I personally like it 68°F (20°C) or colder.

🥶 A lot of people assume the cold temperature is purely to reduce infection risk. However, too low of a core body temperature for the patient can actually increase their chances of infection because it impedes immune system function.

😷 The primary reason we keep it so cold is to prevent the operating room personnel from sweating. It can be pretty hot wearing a gown, mask, lead apron, and being under the hot operating room lights.

👉 Unfortunately for the anesthesiologist or CRNA, this can necessitate the need for sweaters, blankets, and even the occasional need for borrowing heat from a spare Bair hugger. Sorry, anesthesia, but thanks so much for taking good care of our patients during our procedures.

06/06/2026

🏡 As a physician trying to optimize overall health, I’m always looking for ways to create a healthier environment at home.

Over the past few years, we’ve added five things that have made a noticeable difference:

🌱 A hydroponic automated growing system so we can grow fresh herbs and vegetables indoors year-round. Having healthy foods readily available makes healthy eating a lot easier. We use the produce daily in our smoothies and salads.

🤖 A robot vacuum that cleans using hypochlorous acid. With a toddler and a dog that sheds everywhere, this thing gets plenty of work. Hypochlorous acid is produced naturally by your immune system, is generally less toxic than many traditional cleaning products, and has been shown to eliminate 99.9% of many common bacteria and germs.

💨 An air purifier to help reduce dust, pet dander, allergens, and other airborne particles floating around the house. I keep one in the bedroom, and I’ve personally noticed less nasal congestion at night, which helps me breathe easier and sleep better.

💧 A reverse osmosis water filtration system that not only filters out contaminants like lead and arsenic, but also removes many bacteria and viruses, chlorine, and most microplastics. It also remineralizes the water. We no longer have to buy bottled water (which saves a ton of money), and the water tastes great. It was one of the best investments we've made recently.

🔴 A red light therapy panel. Research suggests red and near-infrared light may help support muscle recovery, tissue healing, and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Personally, I’ve found it most helpful for supporting sleep and recovery after long days.

None of these replace the basics—exercise, sleep, nutrition—but they’ve helped make healthy living a little easier.

📩 Comment NEWSLETTER and I’ll send you a link to my free weekly newsletter packed with evidence-based health information.

06/06/2026

They say you do need a little bit of an ego to be a surgeon in the first place, but admittedly some of us probably go a little bit overboard.

🏡 Luckily I have family members (including a wife and toddler) who keep me pretty humble, and I'm sure many others do as well.

🙏 Many thanks to the OR team (and our significant others) who tolerate our “surgeon personalities” on a regular basis. I know it can't be easy at times!

🤔 COULD YOUR DIET ACTUALLY BE CAUSING YOUR JOINT PAIN?👉 That is the topic of this week's free newsletter, which drops ev...
06/05/2026

🤔 COULD YOUR DIET ACTUALLY BE CAUSING YOUR JOINT PAIN?

👉 That is the topic of this week's free newsletter, which drops every Saturday morning.

✅ If you're looking for EVIDENCE-BASED answers to that question and more written by a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, feel free to join thousands of others & subscribe to my free weekly email newsletter:

http://eepurl.com/iQYOcQ

🚨 For past newsletters covering all of these health topics and more, you can also check out my health education company ELEVATED HEALTH at www.elevatedhealth.org

Thanks,
Nick Pappas, MD
Board-certified Orthopedic Surgeon
Founder, Elevated Health

06/04/2026

💪 Logan Paul recently tore his triceps tendon and needed surgery to fix it.

Most people think the biceps is the star of the show, but the triceps actually makes up about two-thirds of the muscle mass of your upper arm and is responsible for much of your pushing strength.

🏋️ These injuries often occur during heavy lifting, contact sports, or a sudden forceful contraction of the muscle.

🔧 The most common repair involves reattaching the torn tendon back to the elbow bone using strong sutures and anchors. While the surgery is typically very successful, recovery isn’t overnight—most patients need several months before returning to full activity.

🦴 Fortunately, when diagnosed early and treated appropriately, outcomes are generally excellent.

📩 Comment NEWSLETTER and I’ll send you a link to my free weekly newsletter where I discuss orthopedic injuries, longevity, nutrition, exercise, and the latest health research.

06/03/2026

I would not recommend going in the medicine purely for the money.

The average medical school graduate leaves training with over $200,000 in student loan debt. 📚💸

Then comes residency, where many physicians work 60–80+ hours per week while earning below minimum wage. ⏰🏥

And despite the years of training, physician reimbursements have declined nearly 40% over the past 25 years when adjusted for inflation. 📉. Don't believe the inflated salaries you see online. In general, those are for less populated areas where insurance reimbursements may be higher. You will generally make significantly less in New York City, for example, than in Alaska. Plus, some hospitals may start you off at a high salary just to entice you to go there and then drop that salary after two years once they have you locked into a noncompete. I've seen it happen many times.

😷 Medicine can still be an incredible career, but if your primary goal is getting rich, it may not be the best choice for you.

Go into medicine because you genuinely love helping people, solving problems, and taking care of others. ❤️ That’s what will get you through the long nights, the sacrifices, and the challenges that come with the profession.

👉 What are your thoughts on this clip? Let me know in the comments.

06/03/2026

What do you think the correct answer is?

06/02/2026

After having been an employee for many years working in at least some capacity for a hospital system, I decided it was time for a change. I was feeling signs of burnout from being asked to constantly see more patients, take more call, and work longer hours (of course, while making the same salary).

👉 While it may not be the best choice for everybody, for me the solution was starting my own practice, so that I could become my own boss. I did this four years ago.

💪 This gave me much more control over my schedule, independence in how I treat patients, and a greater ability to spend time with my family.

✅ Overall, this was the best decision I've ever made professionally (aside from choosing orthopedic surgery of course). If you're curious how I did it, comment PRACTICE and I'll send you a link to a YouTube video I made showing the steps I took.

06/01/2026

🦴 Fracture vs. Break…is there actually a difference?

The answer? They’re the exact same thing.

🩻 A fracture is simply the medical term for a broken bone.

Somehow over the years, people started thinking a fracture sounds less serious than a break, but if your doctor tells you that you fractured your wrist, ankle, finger, or collarbone…that means the bone is broken.

📩 Comment NEWSLETTER and I’ll send you a link to my free weekly newsletter packed with evidence-based health information.

06/01/2026

Comment NEWSLETTER, and I'll send you the link to sign up 📰

🤔 GOT QUESTIONS about the latest health trends?

👉 Should you consider trying peptides…what are the risks? How about buying that weighted vest or vibration plate? What’s the latest data on red light therapy? How can I reduce my risk for osteoporosis 🦴?

✅ If you’re looking for EVIDENCE-BASED answers to these questions and more written by a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, feel free to join thousands of others & subscribe to my free weekly email newsletter.

🚨 For past newsletters covering all of these health topics and more, you can also check out my health education company ELEVATED HEALTH at www.elevatedhealth.org

Address

2520 Harvard Avenue
Metairie, LA
70001

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+15042262871

Website

, , ht

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Nick Pappas, MD posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Nick Pappas, MD:

Shortcuts

Share

Category