Download or read book Open Heart written by Stephen Westaby and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2017-06-20 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In gripping prose, one of the world's leading cardiac surgeons lays bare both the wonder and the horror of a life spent a heartbeat away from death When Stephen Westaby witnessed a patient die on the table during open-heart surgery for the first time, he was struck by the quiet, determined way the surgeons walked away. As he soon understood, this detachment is a crucial survival strategy in a profession where death is only a heartbeat away. In Open Heart, Westaby reflects on over 11,000 surgeries, showing us why the procedures have never become routine and will never be. With astonishing compassion, he recounts harrowing and sometimes hopeful stories from his operating room: we meet a pulseless man who lives with an electric heart pump, an expecting mother who refuses surgery unless the doctors let her pregnancy reach full term, and a baby who gets a heart transplant-only to die once it's in place. For readers of Atul Gawande's Being Mortal and of Henry Marsh's Do No Harm, Open Heart offers a soul-baring account of a life spent in constant confrontation with death.

Download or read book King of Hearts written by G. Wayne Miller and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2000-02-01 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Few of the great stories of medicine are as palpably dramatic as the invention of open-heart surgery, yet, until now, no journalist has ever brought all of the thrilling specifics of this triumph to life. This is the story of the surgeon many call the father of open-heart surgery, Dr. C. Walton Lillehei, who, along with colleagues at University Hospital in Minneapolis and a small band of pioneers elsewhere, accomplished what many experts considered to be an impossible feat: He opened the heart, repaired fatal defects, and made the miraculous routine. Acclaimed author G. Wayne Miller draws on archival research and exclusive interviews with Lillehei and legendary pioneers such as Michael DeBakey and Christiaan Barnard, taking readers into the lives of these doctors and their patients as they progress toward their landmark achievement. In the tradition of works by Richard Rhodes and Tracy Kidder, King of Hearts tells the story of an important and gripping piece of forgotten science history.

Download or read book A Heart Surgeon s Little Instruction Book written by Daniel Waters and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 1995-07 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sometimes the environment surrounding an operating room is way too serious! Let loose with this handy paperback, which is destined to be the topic of conversation in ORs everywhere. Wit, wisdom, and sage advice are furnished to the surgical team via 452 one-liners. These tidbits of information will cause the whole surgical team to reflect, chuckle, and even re-evaluate their bedside manner. These thought-provoking, yet witty quotes promise to keep the surgical team in stitches. Here’s a sampling of this book’s humor and advice: Never be embarrassed to look something up. Avoid scheduling an operation for the morning if you are leaving town in the afternoon. Don’t throw instruments. If you must throw something, make it something disposable. Don’t panic—even when it’s obviously the most rational thing to do. If possible, leave the saphenous vein undivided in the leg until after heparin has been administered. In the event of a complication, the resident closest to the bed is assigned the blame.

Download or read book Wilcox s Surgical Anatomy of the Heart written by Robert H. Anderson and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2013-07-25 with total page 391 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Featuring many new and updated images, this book presents detailed anatomical information needed to interpret normal and abnormal cardiac anatomy.

Download or read book The Beat of Life written by Reinhard Friedl and published by Black Inc.. This book was released on 2021-02-02 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The heart is our most important organ and perhaps our most mysterious. Every day it pumps 9000 litres of blood and beats around 100,000 times. But the heart is more than just a pump. In all major human cultures, it is seen as the source of love, sympathy, joy, courage, strength and wisdom. Why is this so? Having witnessed the extraordinary complexity and unpredictability of human hearts in the operating theatre – each one individual in its make-up, like a fingerprint – heart surgeon Reinhard Friedl went on a search for answers. He examined closely the latest findings in neurocardiology and psychocardiology, and in The Beat of Life he shares his discoveries. In the tradition of Giulia Enders’ Gut and Norman Doidge’s The Brain That Changes Itself, he uses riveting personal stories to illustrate the complex relationship between the heart, the brain and the psyche. The Beat of Life ends with a plea: that we recognise the heart’s wisdom and adopt a more heart-centred way of living, which will lead to greater health.

Download or read book A Surgeon s Heart written by R W Sewell MD and published by . This book was released on 2015-02-14 with total page 456 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Choice is the story of the unrelenting effort of Dr. Jack Roberts to return to the pursuit of his life's calling as a pediatric heart surgeon. To do so, he must first convince reluctant political powers and giant corporations to support his new, and innovative, patient-centered health care model. Meanwhile, his son, Dr. David Roberts, is embarking on his own journey, as he seeks to join his father in this noble profession. Along the way he finds that the core principles his father taught him are no longer embraced by many of his peers. As the world of health care remains in turmoil, Jack and David must each decide whether they can continue to follow... A Surgeon's Heart.

Download or read book Heart to Beat written by Brian Lima and published by Clovercroft Publishing. This book was released on 2020-02-18 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Success is not reserved for the smartest or most talented--it's earned by those who want it the most. Heart conquers all and the triumphant always go all in, never settling for anything less than their best effort. As a leading heart transplant surgeon, Dr. Brian Lima's life story is a testament to that mantra. He's living proof that slow and steady still wins the race, and that the American Dream is alive and well. He persevered through countless challenges growing up in a Cuban immigrant family and defied the odds every step of the way. To fulfill his impossible dream, Dr. Lima opted for the road less traveled, enduring nearly twenty years of rigorous education and surgical training at some of the most prestigious institutions in the world. In Heart to Beat, Dr. Lima shares the lessons learned throughout his improbable rise to the pinnacle of success in the medical field. He breaks down the keys to advancing well beyond your comfort zone and perceived limitations, regardless of your field of interest. No dream is too far-fetched and his Heart Way approach to life will help unleash your full potential and surpass your wildest expectations!

Download or read book Your Heart My Hands written by Arun K Singh and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2019-04-16 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "An absorbing account." -- Jhumpa Lahiri An encouraging and inspiring true story on how a boy from India overcame a difficult childhood and devastating hand injuries and became one of the most prolific cardiac surgeons in U.S. history. Leaving a life marked by crippling setbacks and his father's doubt, in 1967 a twenty-something doctor from India arrived in America with only five dollars and the desire to claim his American dream. The journey still awaiting Dr. Arun K. Singh would be unparalleled. Faced with an entirely new culture, racism, and the lasting effects of disabling childhood injuries, through hard work and perseverance he overcame all odds. Now having performed over 15,000 open heart surgeries, more than nearly every surgeon in history, Dr. Singh reflects on his most memorable patients and his incredible personal life. Shared for the first time, these intimate and uplifting accounts, along with photos, will have you cheering for the underdog and appreciating the enduring determination of the human spirit.

Download or read book A Surgeon s Heart written by R W Sewell M D and published by Robert Sewell, M.D.. This book was released on 2014-08-03 with total page 454 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Surgeon's Heart: The Crisis is the third novel in this series which tells the story of the systematic destruction of the American health care system. For those who have been called to the medical profession and have dedicated their lives to the Oath of Hippocrates, what has been happening and continues to happen is a tragedy of epic proportions. Theirs is a story that is not being told by the talking heads and political pundits who attempt to "enlighten" everyone regarding what health care is, and why they need someone else to be responsible for ensuring it. For such a story to have a lasting impact the characters must feel real, and the reader must relate to them on an emotional level. Jack Roberts is just such a character. Jack is a fictional pediatric heart surgeon who is just like many physicians we have all known. He is grounded in his core principles and traditional ethics. He is surrounded by forces which strive to change him into something much different. His heart is dedicated to those whom he serves, not to the growing forces of corporate greed and government controls, but his resolve is tested by personal crisis. While the story is about health care, it is more about the people who provide life-changing services to those in desperate need. It's about individuals who are engaged in intimate relationships surrounding all different matters of the heart. In this case, it's the tale of A Surgeon's Heart, and The Crisis.

Download or read book The Knife s Edge written by Stephen Westaby and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2019-03-18 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An intimate and compelling exploration into the unique psyche of the heart surgeon, by one of the profession's most eminent figures. Although Professor Stephen Westaby was born with the necessary coordination and manual dexterity, it was a head trauma sustained during university that gifted him the qualities of an exceptional heart surgeon: qualities that are frequently associated with psychopathy. His thirty-five-year career has been characterised by fearlessness and ruthless ambition; leaving empathy at the hospital door as thousands of patients put their lives in his hands. For heart surgeons, the inevitable cost of failure is death and in The Knife's Edge, Westaby reflects on the unique mindset of those who are drawn to this exhilarating and often tragic profession. We discover the pioneers who grasped opportunities and took chances to drive innovation and save lives. Often difficult, uninhibited and fearless, theirs is a field constantly threatened by the risk of public failure. Like those before him, Westaby refuses to draw the line in his search of a lifetime solution to problems of the heart. His determination is unerring - a steadfastness underpinned by his unusual mind. But as we glimpse into the future of cardiac surgery, for all its remarkable scientific advancement, one question remains: within the confines of socialised medical healthcare systems, how can heart surgeons - individuals often hardwired with avoidance of self-doubt, a penchant for glory and a flagrant disregard for authority - truly flourish?

Download or read book Close to the Sun written by Stuart Jamieson and published by RosettaBooks. This book was released on 2019-03-12 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A surgeon internationally recognized for his expertise in heart and lung transplants . . . writes with assurance and aplomb about his achievements.” —Kirkus Reviews Stuart Jamieson has lived two lives. One began in heat and dust. Born to British ex-pats in colonial Africa, Jamieson was sent at the age of eight to a local boarding school, where heartless instructors bullied and tormented their students. In the summers he escaped to fish on crocodile-infested rivers and explore the African bush. As a teenager, an apprenticeship with one of Africa’s most fabled trackers taught Jamieson how to deal with dangerous game and even more dangerous poachers, lessons that would later serve him well in the high-stakes career he chose. Jamieson’s second life unfolded when he went to London to study medicine during the turbulent 1960s, leaving behind the only home he knew as it descended into revolution. Brilliant and self-assured, Jamieson advanced quickly in the still-new field of open-heart surgery. It was a fraught time. For patients with terminal heart disease, heart transplants were the new hope. But poor outcomes had all but ended the procedure. In 1978 Jamieson came to America and to Stanford—the only cardiac center in the world doing heart transplants successfully. Here, Jamieson’s pioneering work on the anti-rejection drug cyclosporin would help to make heart transplantation a routine life-saving operation, that is still in practice today as he continues to train the next generation of heart surgeons. Stuart Jamieson’s story is the story of four decades of advances in heart surgery. “Every reader interested in the history behind one of medicine’s riskiest procedures will find it fascinating.” —Booklist

Download or read book The Surgeons Life and Death in a Top Heart Center written by Charles R. Morris and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2008-10-17 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Insightful and filled with verve…electrifying." —Wall Street Journal Hailed as "an astute book of enormous importance" (Sherwin Nuland), The Surgeons follows the team at one of the world's premier cardiac surgery and transplant centers. Given unprecedented access, Charles R. Morris recounts in thrilling detail a late-night against-the-clock "harvest run" to secure a precious transplantable organ, the heartbreaking story of a child's failed transplant, and more. Along the way, Morris reflects on how doctors really think, rising health care costs, and the future of health care in America.

Download or read book The Man Who Touched His Own Heart written by Rob Dunn and published by Little, Brown. This book was released on 2015-02-03 with total page 355 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The secret history of our most vital organ: the human heart. The Man Who Touched His Own Heart tells the raucous, gory, mesmerizing story of the heart, from the first "explorers" who dug up cadavers and plumbed their hearts' chambers, through the first heart surgeries -- which had to be completed in three minutes before death arrived -- to heart transplants and the latest medical efforts to prolong our hearts' lives, almost defying nature in the process. Thought of as the seat of our soul, then as a mysteriously animated object, the heart is still more a mystery than it is understood. Why do most animals only get one billion beats? (And how did modern humans get to over two billion, effectively letting us live out two lives?) Why are sufferers of gingivitis more likely to have heart attacks? Why do we often undergo expensive procedures when cheaper ones are just as effective? What do Da Vinci, Mary Shelley, and contemporary Egyptian archaeologists have in common? And what does it really feel like to touch your own heart, or to have someone else's beating inside your chest? Rob Dunn's fascinating history of our hearts brings us deep inside the science, history, and stories of the four chambers we depend on most.

Download or read book A Surgeon s Heart written by R. W. Sewell and published by . This book was released on 2014-01-28 with total page 446 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Surgeon's Heart: The Calling is an endearing medical theme romance, featuring Jack Roberts, a well-respected pediatric heart surgeon and leader of his profession. When his compassion and dedication to his young patients are challenged by an ever changing health care environment, Jack remains steadfast in following the calling of his heart. Inspired as a boy with the idea of being a surgeon, Jack struggles to overcome numerous obstacles along the way to becoming a well-respected physician leader. But, with the dawn of the twenty-first century, the world of medicine begins to change, threatening his traditional beliefs and commitments as outside forces attempt to gain control over his profession. These pages are filled with his passion and enthusiasm as a dedicated healer who is ultimately defined by critical situations, including his greatest challenge that arises unexpectedly during a foreign medical mission. The events that follow forever change his life. The Calling will make you laugh, and make you cry, often on the same page, as it provides a unique insight into the real world of health care from an experienced surgeon's perspective. While the future of medicine remains uncertain, there is reason for hope, as long as people like Jack continue to answer the call.

Download or read book Healing from the Heart written by Mehmet C. Oz M.D. and published by Penguin. This book was released on 1999-10-01 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dr. Mehmet Oz, celebrated heart surgeon and co-founder of the Complementary Care Center at New York's Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital, is spearheading the health-care revolution that is yielding powerful new healing tools that will forever change the way we think of medicine. In this ground-breaking book, he describes his pioneering work--combining cutting-edge Western medicine with such Eastern techniques as acupuncture and chi-gong, as well as such controversial therapies as hypnosis, music, massage, reflexology, aromatherapy, and energy healing. The inspiring and affecting stories of his patients are the heart of this book--from the extraordinary discipline of Frank Torre, who used his professional sports training to "psych" himself into healing after heart transplant surgery, to the "impossible" recovery of blues great Johnny Copeland, who was roused from a seemingly impenetrable coma through the force of his own music. In recounting his patients' experiences, Dr. Oz forges a blueprint for the radical new medicine of the next millennium--drawing on the best from Eastern and Western therapies and empowering patients to become partners with doctors in promoting their own recovery.

Download or read book 100 000 Hearts written by Denton A. Cooley and published by Briscoe Center for American History. This book was released on 2012-01-15 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pioneering surgeon Dr. Denton Cooley recalls his extraordinary career and achievements, which include performing the first successful heart transplant in the United States and the first clinical implantation of a totally artificial heart in a human being

Download or read book Once Upon a Heartbeat written by Arkalgud Sampathkumar and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2020-08-28 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What happens when the son-in-law of the country's prime minister collapses on your couch during a dinner you organised? What happens when a member of parliament on his deathbed instructs you how and when to treat him? How in a situation calling for innovation a surgeon finds a way of treating a child with a novel technique? What happens when a doctor sees a young life ebbing away despite his best efforts? How does desperation drive a patient to seek and accept a risky procedure? Once Upon a Heartbeat plunges right into a heart centre. It reveals the humane side of cardiac surgical practice-the operation theatre, the intensive care unit-and brings us close to doctors, nurses and patients, beautifully portraying their stories, their struggles and the eventual healing. There is innovation, intrigue, jealousy and competition to perform. Sometimes, doctors use common sense and even take a risk to deliver quality treatment for an effective outcome. Again, in stressful and dramatic moments, decisions are taken that are mostly beneficial but sometimes fatal. This is the arena where heart surgeons seek glamour and fame and commit their lives to save those suffering from heart diseases. Anecdotal, motivating and often funny, the stories in this collection are inspired from the life of a leading cardiac surgeon, revealing few truths and busting some myths and superstitions along the way.