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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.
A TIMES BEST BOOK OF 2019 An intimate and compelling exploration into the unique psyche of the heart surgeon, by one of the profession’s most eminent figures.
T e four heart valves reside in the center of the heart. T is indicates their crucial role in cardiac performance. Fau- less function of the valves is a prerequisite for unidir- tional forward movement of the blood, and such function is necessary to support the ef orts of the cardiac atria and ventricles. Healthy heart valves function gracefully and of er mechanical durability. Bioengineers have to marvel at the biomechanical evolution of these perfectly placed valves. Heart valves can be involved in pathological processes, however, and only then do we realize just how indispensable they really are. At one time, serious valve disorders used to be a matter of life and death for patients. Only...
Leading heart surgeons (including the President of the Royal College of Surgeons) bridge the ever-widening gap between the "student" (both pre- and post-graduate) and an increas- ingly remote group of medical and surgical specialists in this , the only book devoted entirely to the established principles of cardiac diagnosis.
Winner of a HIGHLY COMMENDED AWARD in the Surgical specialties category of the 2011 BMA Medical Book Competition. Key Questions in Cardiac Surgery will systematically cover all the main topics involved in the current practice of a cardiac surgeon. It will incorporate current guidelines for practice (such as from the American Heart Association and European Society of Cardiology) and up-to-date information based on current literature. The data and body of knowledge presented in this book are strictly evidence-based which makes it ideal as a revision aid for residents/registrars undertaking their Cardiothoracic Surgery Board examinations around the world. Although these examinations vary in for...
Cardiothoracic Surgery covers all areas of adult and paediatric, cardiac and thoracic surgery and intensive care. This new edition, with updated cardiac surgery and thoracic sections, provides on-the-spot guidance to common and less common operative procedures. Every chapter is divided into topics presented across two pages to enable easy reference, with pages on intensive care edged in red for immediate access. Completely updated with current evidence and guidelines, the book is practically oriented to provide reliable guidance in intensive care and in theatre. Fully indexed and lavishly illustrated, the book is a must for anyone seeking a comprehensive yet portable guide to all areas of cardiothoracic surgical practice.
This text describes and illustrates with some 700 detailed anatomic and surgical drawings the whole spectrum of surgical procedures employed to treat acquired and congenital diseases of the heart and great vessels in adults and children. A rather traditional chapter on history of cardiac surgery precedes chapters dedicated to quality improvement, followed by ICU management in adult and pediatric cardiac surgery, and techniques of extracorporeal circulation in both age groups. Further special topics are cardiovascular tissue engineering, minimally invasive cardiac surgery, endovascular treatment of aortic diseases, and cardiac assist devices, including total artificial heart. Written by 71 internationally recognized experts from 40 cardiac units in Central Europe and North America, this book will be invaluable not only for both novice and experienced surgeons, but also for all physicians, nurses, and technicians caring for patients with heart disease of any type, at any age.
'Thrilling... The “dizzying” story of heart surgery is every bit as important as that of the nuclear, computer or rocket ages. And now it has been given the history it deserves' James McConnachie, Sunday Times For thousands of years the human heart remained the deepest of mysteries; both home to the soul and an organ too complex to touch, let alone operate on. Then, in the late nineteenth century, medics began going where no one had dared go before. In eleven landmark operations, Thomas Morris tells us stories of triumph, reckless bravery, swaggering arrogance, jealousy and rivalry, and incredible ingenuity, from the trail-blazing ‘blue baby’ procedure to the first human heart transplant. The Matter of the Heart gives us a view over the surgeon’s shoulder, showing us the heart’s inner workings and failings. It describes both a human story and a history of risk-taking that has ultimately saved millions of lives.
This textbook provides a succinct overview of cardiac surgery, with key concepts being emphasized throughout. An abundance of illustrations, intra-operative photographs, tables as well as information boxes, aids the reader to visualise, grasp and retain difficult concepts. The inclusion of evidence-based approaches to the management of a range of cardiac surgical conditions equips the reader with an understanding of how to overcome a variety of potentially tough clinical challenges. Concise Cardiac Surgery: A Complete Guide comprehensively covers a range of techniques used in cardiac surgery. It is therefore, an ideal resource for the trainee and practising cardiac surgeon seeking a practically focused text detailing how to apply the latest techniques and evidence-based approaches in their day-to-day practice.
Surgery on the heart was explicitly ruled out of medical teaching in the 1940s. A team of London surgeons lead by Russell Brock were determined to challenge and reverse that dogma. Together, they would help to change the history of heart surgery and the chances of survival for future patients.