Take a photo of a barcode or cover
99 reviews for:
Fragile Lives: A Heart Surgeon's Stories of Life and Death on the Operating Table
Stephen Westaby
4.19 AVERAGE
99 reviews for:
Fragile Lives: A Heart Surgeon's Stories of Life and Death on the Operating Table
Stephen Westaby
4.19 AVERAGE
A NON-FICTION book about SURGERY? - Has ME written ALL OVER IT!
I was so excited to read this and I'm glad that this book completed my 2017 reading challenge! The cases were interesting + engaging and I found it to be a fast-paced read. HOWEVER, one thing that I didn't like was how in the Afterword he mentions that he has a fanclub of young men, aspiring to be heart surgeons - I WISH more FEMALES WERE HEART SURGEONS (*cough* Cristina Yang *cough*). ALSO, surgeons, as well as OTHER professionals working in health care need to be educated on psychology! They definitely need to have empathy, high emotional intelligence, strong coping skills, etc. It was disturbing for me to read that their coping strategies were a bar near the hospital and alcohol (to drown sorrows, stress, etc.) and that they would come into the hospital to operate/work cases under the influence of alcohol. I'm sorry, but in what world is this OK? I feel like we're still struggling to understand how important it is to have strong mental health, as much as physical health. These are my personal observations from reading this book.
I was so excited to read this and I'm glad that this book completed my 2017 reading challenge! The cases were interesting + engaging and I found it to be a fast-paced read. HOWEVER, one thing that I didn't like was how in the Afterword he mentions that he has a fanclub of young men, aspiring to be heart surgeons - I WISH more FEMALES WERE HEART SURGEONS (*cough* Cristina Yang *cough*). ALSO, surgeons, as well as OTHER professionals working in health care need to be educated on psychology! They definitely need to have empathy, high emotional intelligence, strong coping skills, etc. It was disturbing for me to read that their coping strategies were a bar near the hospital and alcohol (to drown sorrows, stress, etc.) and that they would come into the hospital to operate/work cases under the influence of alcohol. I'm sorry, but in what world is this OK? I feel like we're still struggling to understand how important it is to have strong mental health, as much as physical health. These are my personal observations from reading this book.
Please check out my book blog at: www.thebuzzingbookmark.com
Here's the thing Bookworms: In my next life I'll be coming back as a doctor or some sort of surgeon. I'm so fascinated by all things medical that it simply can't be any other way. So, when I first heard about this book, I knew that I had to read it.
This book is the true story of a heart surgeon. It isn't so much a story about his personal progression, but rather a collection of various stories about his most interesting cases over the years. I was genuinely fascinated by just about each and every story. The author draws the reader in to each case and the difficulties that he faced while trying to save these people's lives.
The stories contained within the covers of this book can be rather heart wrenching at times. In fact, I had already shed my first tear by the time I'd reached page 55. So maybe I'm just mushy inside, but really, the story of a 2 year old South African boy from Cape Town just tore at my heart strings. So yes, be prepared for a few upsetting moments, but I don't see how a book about life and death on an operating table can be anything but.
The other thing to note about this book is that it obviously contains medical terms that some readers may find a little bit technical at times. All of the stories also contain quite detailed descriptions of the operations, which different parts of the heart / body were affected and what needed to be done to help these patients. The author focuses on the operations but also on the stories behind the operations. There are some diagrams in the book to help the reader understand certain procedures and organs. There is also a glossary at the back of the book to help keep track of all the medical jargon which most of us aren't familiar with.
In this book you'll read about the right atrium, the left ventricle, the aorta and so on. But don't be put off by this. This book still reads like a story and not a medical text book. I must be honest and say that I do think you need to have a fair amount of interest in the medical profession, as this book can be fairly technical at times and fairly detailed.
My criticisms of this book are few, but they do exist. I thought that the book was possibly a bit longer than it needed to be, as I was starting to lose a little interest towards the end. Also, it did eventually get a slightly monotonous, as many of the operations are similar, without being identical. I really enjoyed this book though, despite my criticisms. A very solid 3 stars from me!
My Rating: * * *
Publication Date: April 2017 (South Africa)
Genre: Autobiography
Format: Paperback
Source: Review copy received from the publisher. Many thanks to author, Professor Stephen Westaby and Jonathan Ball Publishers in South Africa my copy. It was my pleasure to read and review this book.
Here's the thing Bookworms: In my next life I'll be coming back as a doctor or some sort of surgeon. I'm so fascinated by all things medical that it simply can't be any other way. So, when I first heard about this book, I knew that I had to read it.
This book is the true story of a heart surgeon. It isn't so much a story about his personal progression, but rather a collection of various stories about his most interesting cases over the years. I was genuinely fascinated by just about each and every story. The author draws the reader in to each case and the difficulties that he faced while trying to save these people's lives.
The stories contained within the covers of this book can be rather heart wrenching at times. In fact, I had already shed my first tear by the time I'd reached page 55. So maybe I'm just mushy inside, but really, the story of a 2 year old South African boy from Cape Town just tore at my heart strings. So yes, be prepared for a few upsetting moments, but I don't see how a book about life and death on an operating table can be anything but.
The other thing to note about this book is that it obviously contains medical terms that some readers may find a little bit technical at times. All of the stories also contain quite detailed descriptions of the operations, which different parts of the heart / body were affected and what needed to be done to help these patients. The author focuses on the operations but also on the stories behind the operations. There are some diagrams in the book to help the reader understand certain procedures and organs. There is also a glossary at the back of the book to help keep track of all the medical jargon which most of us aren't familiar with.
In this book you'll read about the right atrium, the left ventricle, the aorta and so on. But don't be put off by this. This book still reads like a story and not a medical text book. I must be honest and say that I do think you need to have a fair amount of interest in the medical profession, as this book can be fairly technical at times and fairly detailed.
My criticisms of this book are few, but they do exist. I thought that the book was possibly a bit longer than it needed to be, as I was starting to lose a little interest towards the end. Also, it did eventually get a slightly monotonous, as many of the operations are similar, without being identical. I really enjoyed this book though, despite my criticisms. A very solid 3 stars from me!
My Rating: * * *
Publication Date: April 2017 (South Africa)
Genre: Autobiography
Format: Paperback
Source: Review copy received from the publisher. Many thanks to author, Professor Stephen Westaby and Jonathan Ball Publishers in South Africa my copy. It was my pleasure to read and review this book.
[b]As I received this book from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review, the review itself will be written in English as so it is the book. I feel the need to provide an review for its community in the same language it was provided to me. [/b]
I don’t know what I was expecting when I requested the book, but I have thoroughly enjoyed it. I do have to say I do know a bit regarding anatomy and physiology, and I did not expect the author to dive in it so deep on it. I mean, there are even diagrams and drawings explaining bits and bobs about how the heart and circulatory system works from a Doctors point of view. This has been very enjoyable, I loved how detailed some explanations were, mostly regarding surgeries and procedures. Those were my favourite bits. It was interesting but not in a patronizing way of “I know more than you look how cool am I and all the cool things I can do”.
We will follow the author from the main reason he got interested in cardiac surgery, till quite recent in time thoughout a series of surgeries. He will walk us through a series of cases, and patients, that will follow his career and development as surgeon from the most simple to the really challenging ones that will leave you bitting your nails hoping for the best.
It is raw medicine, meaning sometimes it goes really well and everything is amazing, but some others it does not. And I think it was really important to deliver that message as well. Because it is a history of a human being, and only success would have made it boring, dull, and not realistic at all. And well, if it was only failure, he would not have become the eminence he is at the moment in hin field.
Really enjoyable, I loved it and read it in about a couple of days. The chapters are not very long and quite conclusive by themselves, so you don’t have to follow a storyline and you can read a few chapters every now and then and still really enjoy the book. If you’re interested or even curious about the topic, it’s a wonderful read.
I don’t know what I was expecting when I requested the book, but I have thoroughly enjoyed it. I do have to say I do know a bit regarding anatomy and physiology, and I did not expect the author to dive in it so deep on it. I mean, there are even diagrams and drawings explaining bits and bobs about how the heart and circulatory system works from a Doctors point of view. This has been very enjoyable, I loved how detailed some explanations were, mostly regarding surgeries and procedures. Those were my favourite bits. It was interesting but not in a patronizing way of “I know more than you look how cool am I and all the cool things I can do”.
We will follow the author from the main reason he got interested in cardiac surgery, till quite recent in time thoughout a series of surgeries. He will walk us through a series of cases, and patients, that will follow his career and development as surgeon from the most simple to the really challenging ones that will leave you bitting your nails hoping for the best.
It is raw medicine, meaning sometimes it goes really well and everything is amazing, but some others it does not. And I think it was really important to deliver that message as well. Because it is a history of a human being, and only success would have made it boring, dull, and not realistic at all. And well, if it was only failure, he would not have become the eminence he is at the moment in hin field.
Really enjoyable, I loved it and read it in about a couple of days. The chapters are not very long and quite conclusive by themselves, so you don’t have to follow a storyline and you can read a few chapters every now and then and still really enjoy the book. If you’re interested or even curious about the topic, it’s a wonderful read.
What a character Dr Westaby is! It was fascinating learning about the developments in heart surgery over his career, and some of the most unbelievable recoveries. There was a balance between technicality and narrative. The reason its not getting 5 is purely because it didn't blow me away and such a rating is reserved for extra special books.
4.5
4.5
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
An absolutely riveting read and as good a page-turner as a non-fiction book can be! Professor Stephen Westaby, considered as one of UK's most successful (and pioneering) cardiac surgeons, charts his early career from observing his grandfather dying of heart failure in their family council home in Scunthorpe, working in the local steel works to getting a job as a hospital theatre porter where he observed postmortems that eventually helped him land a place at Charing Cross Medical School. He then went on to establish the Oxford Heart Centre, where he achieved many "firsts" in open heart surgery.
"A successful cardiac surgeon is a man who, when asked to identify the three best surgeons in the world, has difficulty in naming the other two." - Westaby quotes Denton Cooley. While Westaby doesn't shy away from documenting his key accomplishments (it's his memoirs afterall), he's also included many stories where he loses the patient despite giving his all. There's lots of empathy for the patients and their families and unexpected humour (including some great jokes, which his colleagues never seem to get!) in between. Every chapter is a rollercoaster ride.
"A successful cardiac surgeon is a man who, when asked to identify the three best surgeons in the world, has difficulty in naming the other two." - Westaby quotes Denton Cooley. While Westaby doesn't shy away from documenting his key accomplishments (it's his memoirs afterall), he's also included many stories where he loses the patient despite giving his all. There's lots of empathy for the patients and their families and unexpected humour (including some great jokes, which his colleagues never seem to get!) in between. Every chapter is a rollercoaster ride.
3.5 stars
Westaby is a good storyteller but a poor writer. I enjoyed the stories in their medical context and the drama they provided, but when he tried to expand his remit beyond intensive care I was not a fan (particularly in the case of the young Somali woman and her child).
Westaby is a good storyteller but a poor writer. I enjoyed the stories in their medical context and the drama they provided, but when he tried to expand his remit beyond intensive care I was not a fan (particularly in the case of the young Somali woman and her child).
Anyone who reads my blog will know that I rarely, if ever, review non-fiction. It is definitely not my usual genre, but when I saw it pop up on Twitter recently, I was suitably intrigued. I am so SO GLAD I got the chance to read and review Fragile Lives.
Fragile Lives is a memoir written by Stephen Westaby, one of the most well known cardiac surgeons and hugely prolific in his chosen field. A trailblazer from very early on in his career, he continued to pave the way for the use of new and unknown cardiac treatments and apparatus.
I started it Monday morning, and by Monday night I was a ball of emotions upon finishing it. Every chapter is a case story, and every case is heartbreaking yet life-affirming, if that makes sense. I found myself close to tears on more than one occasion on Monday, knowing that these are real people and they were meeting Westaby at possibly the worst moment of their lives.
The details in Fragile Lives are extremely in depth, especially with regards to the surgeries and various diseases/injuries that are discussed in the book. While it was descriptive, it was not by any means difficult to follow. It was very interesting to read about the anatomy of the heart and the various pathologies Westaby writes about.
I can’t do this book justice with my words. It was truly excellent to read. I was compelled to read it, trapped in the intensity of the chapters. When I had to put it down, I immediately wished I was reading it again. That is always a sign of a great book. If you like medicine, with a large dose of humanity, then pick up Fragile Lives.
Highly recommended!
Share this:
Fragile Lives is a memoir written by Stephen Westaby, one of the most well known cardiac surgeons and hugely prolific in his chosen field. A trailblazer from very early on in his career, he continued to pave the way for the use of new and unknown cardiac treatments and apparatus.
I started it Monday morning, and by Monday night I was a ball of emotions upon finishing it. Every chapter is a case story, and every case is heartbreaking yet life-affirming, if that makes sense. I found myself close to tears on more than one occasion on Monday, knowing that these are real people and they were meeting Westaby at possibly the worst moment of their lives.
The details in Fragile Lives are extremely in depth, especially with regards to the surgeries and various diseases/injuries that are discussed in the book. While it was descriptive, it was not by any means difficult to follow. It was very interesting to read about the anatomy of the heart and the various pathologies Westaby writes about.
I can’t do this book justice with my words. It was truly excellent to read. I was compelled to read it, trapped in the intensity of the chapters. When I had to put it down, I immediately wished I was reading it again. That is always a sign of a great book. If you like medicine, with a large dose of humanity, then pick up Fragile Lives.
Highly recommended!
Share this:
“A successful cardiac surgeon is a man who, when asked to identify the three best surgeons in the world, has difficulty in naming the other two.”
Fragile Lives, by Professor Stephen Westaby, is a memoir that is both awe inspiring and heart-rending. It tells the story of the medical career of a man raised in working class Scunthorpe who became a world class, ground-breaking cardiac surgeon before watching his life saving profession being stymied by the NHS bureaucracy that we know today.
The first few chapters cover Westaby’s childhood, inspiration and medical training. Born in the post-war baby boom years he decided young that he wished to be a heart surgeon after watching a television programme, ‘Your Life in Their Hands’, in which American surgeons were able to close a hole in a patient’s heart thanks to the newly created heart-lung machine. Westaby gained entrance to a local grammar school and from there worked towards his dream of medical school. As a teenager he took menial jobs at a hospital, learning as much as he could through observation. His years of medical training at Charing Cross and the Royal Brompton in London brought him to his first surgeries, where he learned that a certain arrogance is necessary for a successful outcome. A surgeon must believe in their own abilities if they are to innovate and thereby save more lives. When a patient is cut open on an operating table the surgeons cannot know exactly what problems they will be required to deal with.
Subsequent chapters look at particular patients whose medical issues Westaby tackled in new ways. Not all of them survive, and those that do are changed.
“extra life is not ordinary life. There’s a price to pay and a second dying to come”
These cases are fascinating if poignant to read. There is an amount of medical detail included but the language used is accessible. Westaby’s confidence in his abilities and willingness to take risks not only saved many of the lives he held in his hands but also led others in his field to do the same. These world class doctors worked together, sharing techniques and outcomes for the good of their patients as well as furthering their own careers.
“For the unfortunate patient, any prospect of survival depends upon having an experienced trauma surgeon at hand. Few are offered that privilege.”
Westaby worked all over the world and experienced many levels of both staff competence and facility provision. When dealing with a patient who will surely die without intervention, risks seem a price worth paying. This is the way, the only way, that new techniques and treatments can be developed.
A cardiac surgeon must retain a certain detachment as they are dealing every day with the dying who often harbour multiple health issues. Success rates matter. The monetary cost of surgery is high and those controlling the purse strings wish to invest only in proven drugs or equipment.
Pioneering surgery is now threatened by the blame culture. Even proven techniques are being rationed due to the focus on cost, whatever the benefit.
“When a surgeon remains focused on helping as many patients as his ability will allow, some will die. But we should no longer accept substandard facilities, teams or equipment. Otherwise patients will die needlessly.”
By the end of his career Westaby had become disillusioned with the NHS. He had watched too many of his patients die due to a lack of drugs and equipment simply because they are deemed too expensive by non medical decsion makers.
“What mattered was keeping down costs. Death comes cheap.”
Inevitably he looks back on his own younger years with a degree of pride and with more regard than he offers today’s trainees. Setting this aside there is a warning to be heeded. It is understandable that cardiac surgeons feel frustrated with the constraints placed on their ability to work effectively. What this means to the individual patients and their families is the difference between life and death.
Those who believe that the drama of medical TV shows is overplayed should read this book. It is a fascinating account of a career that observed and facilitated huge medical innovation. The effect this had on the patients whose cases are included had me in tears of sorrow and joy on more than one occasion. To anyone with an opinion on the value of national healthcare expenditure, this is a recommended read.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the publisher, Harper Collins.
Fragile Lives, by Professor Stephen Westaby, is a memoir that is both awe inspiring and heart-rending. It tells the story of the medical career of a man raised in working class Scunthorpe who became a world class, ground-breaking cardiac surgeon before watching his life saving profession being stymied by the NHS bureaucracy that we know today.
The first few chapters cover Westaby’s childhood, inspiration and medical training. Born in the post-war baby boom years he decided young that he wished to be a heart surgeon after watching a television programme, ‘Your Life in Their Hands’, in which American surgeons were able to close a hole in a patient’s heart thanks to the newly created heart-lung machine. Westaby gained entrance to a local grammar school and from there worked towards his dream of medical school. As a teenager he took menial jobs at a hospital, learning as much as he could through observation. His years of medical training at Charing Cross and the Royal Brompton in London brought him to his first surgeries, where he learned that a certain arrogance is necessary for a successful outcome. A surgeon must believe in their own abilities if they are to innovate and thereby save more lives. When a patient is cut open on an operating table the surgeons cannot know exactly what problems they will be required to deal with.
Subsequent chapters look at particular patients whose medical issues Westaby tackled in new ways. Not all of them survive, and those that do are changed.
“extra life is not ordinary life. There’s a price to pay and a second dying to come”
These cases are fascinating if poignant to read. There is an amount of medical detail included but the language used is accessible. Westaby’s confidence in his abilities and willingness to take risks not only saved many of the lives he held in his hands but also led others in his field to do the same. These world class doctors worked together, sharing techniques and outcomes for the good of their patients as well as furthering their own careers.
“For the unfortunate patient, any prospect of survival depends upon having an experienced trauma surgeon at hand. Few are offered that privilege.”
Westaby worked all over the world and experienced many levels of both staff competence and facility provision. When dealing with a patient who will surely die without intervention, risks seem a price worth paying. This is the way, the only way, that new techniques and treatments can be developed.
A cardiac surgeon must retain a certain detachment as they are dealing every day with the dying who often harbour multiple health issues. Success rates matter. The monetary cost of surgery is high and those controlling the purse strings wish to invest only in proven drugs or equipment.
Pioneering surgery is now threatened by the blame culture. Even proven techniques are being rationed due to the focus on cost, whatever the benefit.
“When a surgeon remains focused on helping as many patients as his ability will allow, some will die. But we should no longer accept substandard facilities, teams or equipment. Otherwise patients will die needlessly.”
By the end of his career Westaby had become disillusioned with the NHS. He had watched too many of his patients die due to a lack of drugs and equipment simply because they are deemed too expensive by non medical decsion makers.
“What mattered was keeping down costs. Death comes cheap.”
Inevitably he looks back on his own younger years with a degree of pride and with more regard than he offers today’s trainees. Setting this aside there is a warning to be heeded. It is understandable that cardiac surgeons feel frustrated with the constraints placed on their ability to work effectively. What this means to the individual patients and their families is the difference between life and death.
Those who believe that the drama of medical TV shows is overplayed should read this book. It is a fascinating account of a career that observed and facilitated huge medical innovation. The effect this had on the patients whose cases are included had me in tears of sorrow and joy on more than one occasion. To anyone with an opinion on the value of national healthcare expenditure, this is a recommended read.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the publisher, Harper Collins.