Phoenix hospital staff sharpens surgical skills in annual Halloween pumpkin-carving contest

PHOENIX — Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix got into the Halloween spirit on Tuesday, as physicians and staff used their surgical skills to carve Halloween pumpkins in the hospital’s annual Doc-O-Lantern Pumpkin Carving Contest.

Participants had just 30 minutes to demonstrate their pumpkin-carving skills. In fact, some even used surgical equipment to make these designs.

Sumeet Mittal, an esophageal surgeon with Dignity Health St. Joseph’s renowned Norton Thoracic Institute, won the contest by carving a Jack O’ Lantern complete with a demonstration to showcase the effects of GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) when left untreated. 

Brandon Fox, a neurosurgery resident at Barrow Neurological Institute, finished in second by using operating room tools to carve a sinister skull atop an artificial spine.

Dignity Health St. Joseph’s offers Halloween safety tips

In addition to showcasing their creations, doctors emphasized the importance of Halloween safety.

“Hospitals all over the country are haunted by Halloween-related injuries every year,” said Victor Waters, chief medical officer at Dignity Health St. Joseph’s. “We want to make sure Valley residents have a safe celebration and are prepared in case their Halloween isn’t all sweet.”

Doctors offered pumpkin carving tips such as:

• Slice away from yourself in small, controlled strokes. Don’t carve toward yourself.
• Be careful, a sharp knife can become lodged in the thicker parts of the pumpkin and cause serious injury if your hand is in the wrong place when it dislodges.
• Set up your carving station in a clean, dry and well-lit area.
• Keep sharp carving tools away from children. Consider letting children draw the design and an adult carve the pumpkin. Do not leave children or adolescents alone with carving tools.

Trick-or-treating tips include:

• Find a way to be visible to drivers. Glowsticks and/or flashlights is best to alert drivers on dark roads. Also, look both ways before crossing the street.
• Children should always be supervised.
• Along with checking candy for tampering before eating, make sure children don’t eat too much candy. Ensure a good meal before they leave to go trick-or-treating.

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