Surgeon Under the Knife

Rating:
Summary: We all need to know what the patient goes through
Review: The author, a general surgeon, takes us on his journey through coronary bypass surgery, from the realization that there was really something wrong to his reflections on the process once he was through it. Through his eyes we see typical denial of symptoms that he knows well, a lesson for anyone avoiding the doctor. He takes us throught he search for the right place for surgery; revealing that he, like many people, makes his final decision as much on an emotional basis as on a medical one. We see his frustration with the thousand insults that patients must deal with, such as being awakened on the night before surgery for antibiotic injections that are painful enough to keep him awake on a night he thinks he should get as much rest as possible.

For medical professionals, the book is a humbling look at things we could do better to care for our patients. For patients, though a little dated, it provides a guide as to what they can expect.