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Fragile Lives: A Heart Surgeon’s Stories of Life and Death on the Operating Table

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They may have trouble speaking clearly, may stutter, or may leave out parts of words. They may also have problems understanding other people’s social cues, such as tone of voice or specific types of body language. 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] 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. Prepare the individual for any changes in routine by explaining these changes ahead of time, possibly by using visual signs. Slightly disappointed he didn't narrate it himself... only because it is always more interesting (to me anyway) to hear the writer's voice.. but not everyone is meant to be a narrator of audiobooks *shrugs* The narrator here was very good, pleasant voice and I have a crush on his accent haha.

Fragile Lives by Stephen Westaby; Emergency Admissions by Kit

Pioneering surgery is now threatened by the blame culture. Even proven techniques are being rationed due to the focus on cost, whatever the benefit. The number of cells that have the mutation. Because not every cell in the body is exactly the same, some cells might have the FMR1 mutation while others do not. This situation is called mosaicism. If the mutation is in most of the body’s cells, the person will probably have symptoms of Fragile X syndrome. If the mutation is in only some of the cells, the person might not have any symptoms at all or only mild symptoms. Teachers can use the National Fragile X Foundation’s Lesson Planning Guide for Fragile X to learn more about the best strategies for teaching children with Fragile X. What Type of Classroom Now who gets what, when and on what criteria prompts Westaby’s profound frustration at “the Stasi”. Providing an artificial heart costs hundreds of thousands of pounds. The longest a recipient has lived, Peter Houghton, operated on by Westaby in 2000, is seven years. Houghton carried the batteries for his heart in a shoulder bag and had a plug in his head. When questioned about his extra lease of life, Houghton replied: “Three days out of five, it’s better than being dead.”

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A full-frontal and thrilling portrayal. Each story in this fascinating book brings a new nail-biting surgical adventure... A gifted surgeon, Westaby is also a natural writer... Fragile Lives succeeds on many levels: political battle cry, chronicle of bloody feats, history of modern cardiology, tribute to patients and paean to surgery.’– Daily Telegraph Occupational therapists help find ways to adjust tasks and conditions to match a person’s needs and abilities. 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”. From being a working class boy from Scunthorpe to operating on some of the most high profile cases of heart surgery the world has seen, I felt like I was along with Stephen for the journey - and what a journey! Highly recommended. Treating patients with heart failure and other defects to this vital organ is like walking a tightrope between life and death; it is so easy to tilt and fall over to either side. In fact, in cardiac surgery, the heart is momentarily stopped, dependent entirely on external machinery to maintain blood circulation. A single misstep can cause irrevocable damage.

Fragile Lives: A Heart Surgeon’s Stories of Life and De…

As a doctor I truly enjoyed this book and how the patients’ stories were told in a respectful way without loosing that morbid matter-of-fact humor many doctors develop. For the unfortunate patient, any prospect of survival depends upon having an experienced trauma surgeon at hand. Few are offered that privilege.” Prenatal testing is not very common, and many parents do not know they carry the mutation. Therefore, parents usually start to notice symptoms in their children when they are infants or toddlers. The average age at diagnosis is 36 months for boys and 42 months for girls. 2 Diagnosis of Children While loss and contriteness are inevitable, a majority of the book still revolves around miracles—patients rescued from the edge of the cliff by sheer ingenuity and assiduousness. To be able to wield the scalpel with confidence and dexterity takes years of practice and hard work, but it also takes a little bit of flair and a lot of courage to try new things. Westaby’s admirable propensity for innovation is embodied in his invention of the Westaby tube to treat a patient with a severely damaged windpipe, as well as his willingness to experiment with new devices and heart pumps. This reminds me of the Atul Gawande’s book, Better, in which he extols the spirit of never giving up on patients. Perfection can be an elusive target, but our patients deserve the best chance at life. It is for them that we must keep striving towards that fabled asymptote called perfection. An incredible memoir from one of the world’s most eminent heart surgeons, recalling some of the most remarkable and poignant cases he’s worked on.We are committed to improving maternal care for Pakistan and Kenya’s poorest mothers and their babies, as well as supporting the nutritional health of women and girls. We’re achieving this through offering a higher standard of medical care and nutrition, as well as working alongside local midwives and doctors to support them in caring for new mothers and their babies. We also offer education and support to mothers, empowering them to give their babies the best possible start to life. We’re working to help entire families become free from the fear of hunger for life by teaching them vital agricultural skills and helping them access the dynamic market so they can produce and sell their own food using established business models. You do have to concentrate. There’s a lot of new vocabulary to get used to, but as it’s used repeatedly, it soon becomes familiar. Perdicardium. Electrocautery. Cardioplegia. Perfusion. I sometimes struggled to visualise exactly what Westaby was doing to the heart in the various operations followed in the book. But I got the gist, and I suspect no matter how many books by surgeons I might read in my life, there will always be a magical mystery to the art. 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. This is one of those books of medical true-life stories, but is more technical than most By the end, I knew a great deal more of the structure of the heart, blood chemistry and why making lots of pee is extremely important.

Fragile roofs - CITB Fragile roofs - CITB

Westaby was determined to save the child as he understood the torment the young woman felt as she finally relinquished her iron-like grip on her precious bundle of rags. Intent on bringing good news to the mother, he tried a heretical method which proved successful. Unfortunately, immediately after the operation, his attention was diverted to another trauma patient. Within this time, tampering from the inexperienced intensive care team led to a rapid deterioration that left the boy beyond salvation. There was nothing Westaby could do to reverse the damage. Raw and moving... the writing is thrilling. Fragile Lives is a frank and absorbing memoir by a man who has done about as much good to his fellow human beings as it is possible to do in one lifetime.’– The Times, Book of the Week Many parents first notice symptoms of delayed development in their infants or toddlers. These symptoms may include delays in speech and language skills, social and emotional difficulties, and being sensitive to certain sensations. Children may also be delayed in or have problems with motor skills such as learning to walk. The title sums it up pretty well. A collection of anecdotes from the author's colourful and accomplished life in the field of cardiothoracic surgery. Some children with Fragile X begin talking later than typically developing children. Most will talk eventually, but a few might stay nonverbal throughout their lives.

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.” This is an incredible compilation. I'm not sure why, but with medicine, despite the fact that you lose more patients than you can save, it's those few survivors that give you the ability to persevere. They make it all matter. It doesn't matter how smart you are, you just need to be smart enough to care more than others, to be more passionate than others. It's tragic that a healthcare system is in the hands of political leaders who usually don't know enough about the preciousness of human life. Its not just the NHS, its a lot of countries' healthcare systems. Its tragic because lives are lost when support was needed.

Fragile Lives by Stephen Westaby | Waterstones

For sure it’s not a surgery textbook but a biography and memoir of both Westaby and his patients mixed up with a great insight into the heart and its surgical procedures. We’re here for the patients, not for ourselves. We may suffer for that but we’ll rarely regret it. Who would I recommend this book to?Richmond, Caroline (18 December 2007). "Peter Houghton". The Guardian. London . Retrieved 4 January 2008. 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. I read this pretty much in one sitting - an incredibly emotional, informative and really very addictive memoir here from Stephen Westaby, I now know more about the human heart than I ever could imagine that I would. A powerful, important and incredibly moving book, Fragile Lives offers an exceptional insight into the exhilarating and sometimes tragic world of heart surgery, and how it feels to hold someone’s life in your hands.

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