Healing hands, now in need of healing: Auggie's journey of reconstructive surgery
As a dedicated operating room charge nurse at HCA HealthONE Swedish – a part of HCA HealthONE, Auggie Rodriguez has spent his professional life ensuring patients receive the best possible surgical care. When he faced a personal medical crisis that threatened his ability to do the job he loves, he turned to the very surgical experts he works with for help.
In June 2024, Auggie began noticing alarming symptoms in his hand: the skin was cool to the touch, discolored and tingled.
“Being a nurse, I knew something wasn’t right,” he said. “I was worried because if I let it go, I might lose my thumb, the most important part of my hand.”
Auggie’s condition was complicated by vasculitis, a secondary issue stemming from his arthritis, which restricted blood flow to his hand. Understanding the urgency, he approached his hospital colleague, Dr. Benson Pulikkottil, who is double board-certified in plastic and hand surgery and is the medical director of HCA HealthONE Swedish’s American Burn Association-verified burn and reconstructive program.
“Auggie was right to be concerned,” Dr. Pulikkottil said. “High thumb function is essential for the hands-on environment that he thrives in at work and at home. He needed immediate relief but also a lasting solution that could allow him a full range of function for years to come.”
Dr. Pulikkottil and his team prescribed nitroglycerin ointment, typically used to reduce angina or chest pain, to improve Auggie’s hand circulation while they performed pre-surgical imaging.
“One of the things I love best about HCA HealthONE Swedish is the patient’s ability to access the highest levels of care. Of course, they knew me, but I’ve seen the same for countless patients coming through our system. Like he would for anyone in this situation, Dr. Pulikkottil got me in right away, told me how to protect my hand and we scheduled the imaging immediately,” Auggie said.
In just a few weeks, Dr. Pulikkottil performed a sympathectomy, a method to provide pain relief by improving blood flow and destroying the pain-inducing sympathetic nerves of Auggie’s forearm and the small arteries of his thumb. This relieved the constant blood flow constriction and saved Auggie’s thumb from amputation.
The results were immediate.
“Right away, I noticed the difference in temperature. The color, the functionality of my hand was great,” Auggie said.
The surgery was a success, and Auggie’s time in his own recovery room provided another window into the exceptional care he helps provide every day.
“They were so attentive, and I felt very cared for and comfortable. My postanesthesia care unit (PACU) nurse noticed I was struggling a lot with the pain. She notified the anesthesiologist, Dr. David Tunick, who knew exactly what to do. He performed a nerve block, and I couldn’t believe my pain was gone instantly,” he said.
Auggie was able to do rehabilitation at home and was back to full function and work in just two weeks. For him, the path to healing means continuing his passion for helping others.
“It’s the only job I’ve ever wanted since I was 12,” he said. “HCA HealthONE Swedish is my second home. Being back in the operating room, taking care of my team and our patients, that’s what I love. And thanks to the incredible team here, I got that back.”
Burn and reconstructive care in Denver
HCA HealthONE Swedish provide the greater Rocky Mountain region with specialized, family-centered burn care — from injury through rehabilitation. Our dedicated physicians are double board-certified in plastic and hand surgery, with unique offerings related to burns, frostbite and other related conditions. Learn more about our burn and reconstructive care.