In our technologically advanced age, patients choose to undergo a myriad of surgical interventions at an astounding rate: 85,000 elective surgeries are performed in American hospitals and clinics every day. Yet, few patients likely understand the remarkable innovations that have led to the sophisticated procedures executed by today's surgeons. For those who want to explore the fascinating history of this medical specialty, Invasion of the Body: Revolutions in Surgery is the perfect starting point.
Dr. Nicholas Tilney is a transplant surgeon affiliated with Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He has written in the past about his medical specialty, including the acclaimed Transplant: From Myth to Reality. In this latest work, he focuses on the broader spectrum of surgical revolutions that have shaped his specialty. He covers, in thorough, yet accessible style, a range of topics: pharmaceutical advances in anesthesia and anti-infective agents; the creation of teaching hospitals and recognition of surgery as a distinct specialty; the influence of trench warfare on surgical techniques; the evolution of organ transplantation; and current conditions in surgical training. Dr. Tilney's final chapters discuss issues in modern medicine that will continue to affect both those who practice surgery and those who undergo it.
Invasion of the Body is a completely detailed, captivating account of the transformation of surgery over the past century. Dr. Tilney's book will appeal to the curious reader just as much as it will to those in the health professions. --Roni K. Devlin, owner of Literary Life Bookstore & More