Complications

Gently dismantling the myth of medical infallibility, Dr Atul Gawande's Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science is essential reading for anyone involved in medicine--on either end of the stethoscope. Medical professionals make mistakes, learn on the job and improvise much of their technique and self-confidence. Gawande's tales are humane and passionate reminders that doctors are people, too. His prose is thoughtful and deeply engaging, shifting from sometimes-painful stories of suffering patients (including his own child) to intriguing suggestions for improving medicine with the same care he expresses in the surgical theatre. Some of his ideas will make health-care providers nervous or even angry, but his disarming style, confessional tone and thoughtful arguments should win over most readers. Complications is a book with heart and an excellent bedside manner, celebrating rather than berating doctors for being merely human. --Rob Lightner

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Insightful read - Rated
This book is certainly an excellent read. It is particularly good if as a medical doctor like myself you gain insight into the medical experience and life of a colleague battling and struggling with similar difficult decisions. Medicine often comes across to the non-medical world as an exact and perfect science. I suspect much of this comes from us within the medical profession as we speak so confidently of diagnoses that are often times just educated guesses. Reading this book will open your eyes to the struggles we have as doctors on a daily basis in determining the ultimate result - the best possible care and outcome for the individual patient.

Highly Reccomended - Rated
While the author occasionally falls into old medical clichés and his conclusions may be predictable this is still an insightful and wonderfully readable book. The author, a surgical resident in America, discusses various topics of relevance to those both in and out of the medical profession. He considers the nature of medical teaching, autonomy, mistakes and mysteries. Particularly thought provoking are his reflections on how doctors learn. Experienced doctors are in society's interest and experience is only gained through practise. However on an individual level it's not in ones interest to have someone practise upon you. The author illustrates this in examples from his own life in discussing the treatment of his young sons congenital heart defect.

The articles are well written and well researched, he has achieved an ideal balance between scholarship and accessibility which means even the seasoned doctor has much to learn and ponder upon after reading the book. After reading this book I'm incredibly eager to read the next volume of his essays.

Absolutely superb - Rated
I have worked in medical devices (implants for orthopaedics (hips and kness) and general surgery (bums and tums)) for over 20 years so know a little about surgery, and saw this book on a browsing trip on Amazon, and impulsively thought I might enjoy it.

If you have the remotest interest in surgery then you must read it. It's written in a very readable style (slight irritation of US spellings!!) and with the use of case studies, I found it almost un-put-downable!

I think Gawande leaves the best till last (I won't spoil it for you) and this case was particularly relevant as one of the products I have worked with has been used successfully in a similar case.

I learned a lot about surgery, medicine, surgeons and the difficulties that exist that I suspect most of us wouldn't consider.

An excellent thought provoking book - loved it!

View from a non medic - Rated
This is a fascinating book of great insight and honesty.
Everyone should read it!

Complications - Rated
I read this book the week before I started as a Consultant Surgeon in the UK. It is just the book for surgeons and their patients to read. The book inspires and at the same time shows man and medicine are not as realiable as machines but today until technology changes they are all we have and things do not always go as surgeons and their patients would wish and that is not necessarily anyones fault. The important word to describe the surgeon and his book is 'honest'.