Open Heart

Open Heart
Author: Stephen Westaby
Publisher: Basic Books
Total Pages: 271
Release: 2017-06-20
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0465094848

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.

King of Hearts

King of Hearts
Author: G. Wayne Miller
Publisher: Crown
Total Pages: 334
Release: 2010-02-10
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0307557243

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.

Heart to Beat

Heart to Beat
Author: Brian Lima
Publisher: Clovercroft Publishing
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2020-02-18
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 9781950892358

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!

Your Heart, My Hands

Your Heart, My Hands
Author: Arun K Singh
Publisher: Center Street
Total Pages: 281
Release: 2019-04-16
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1546082972

An encouraging, inspiring, and "absorbing" (Jhumpa Lahiri, Pulitzer Prize winner) true story of 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. 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.

Cardiac Surgery

Cardiac Surgery
Author: Gerhard Ziemer
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 1152
Release: 2017-07-28
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 3662526727

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.

Cardiac Surgery

Cardiac Surgery
Author: Shahzad G. Raja
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 1043
Release: 2020-02-11
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 3030241742

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.

The Knife's Edge

The Knife's Edge
Author: Stephen Westaby
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 336
Release: 2019-03-18
Genre: Heart surgeons
ISBN: 9780008285777

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?

Wilcox's Surgical Anatomy of the Heart

Wilcox's Surgical Anatomy of the Heart
Author: Robert H. Anderson
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 391
Release: 2013-07-25
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1107014484

Featuring many new and updated images, this book presents detailed anatomical information needed to interpret normal and abnormal cardiac anatomy.

A Heart Surgeon's Little Instruction Book

A Heart Surgeon's Little Instruction Book
Author: Daniel Waters
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 154
Release: 1995-07
Genre: Medical
ISBN:

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.

Key Questions in Cardiac Surgery

Key Questions in Cardiac Surgery
Author: Narain Moorjani,
Publisher: tfm Publishing Limited
Total Pages: 522
Release: 2011-03-01
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1908986530

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 format in different countries, this book is applicable to all cardiothoracic surgical trainees. Its concise, yet complete coverage of the important topics, make it the ideal guide to answer the key questions in cardiac surgery that are asked within the confines of an examination. Cardiologists, cardiothoracic intensive care unit specialists, nursing staff, physiotherapists and other professions allied to medicine, both surgical and cardiological, will also find the book useful in terms of the indications and surgical management of these patients, as they are integral to the cardiac surgical process.