Under the Drapes: More Mystique of Surgery

by David Gelber

"Under the More Mystique of Surgery" takes the reader into the world of surgery and surgeons, exploring why they operate, while detailing a wide variety of medical conditions that lead patients to the operating suite. The interaction between surgeon and patient is also examined in humorous and poignant ways. Pitfalls of surgery, as well as miraculous recoveries are presented and discussed. "Under the Drapes" is an informative and moving follow-up to Dr. Gelber's previous book, "Behind the The Mystique of Surgery and the Surgeons Who Perform Them," which delved into the surgeon's thought processes before, during and after a surgery is performed.

Genres: Biography

204 pages, Paperback

First published June 17, 2012

About the author

I was raised in upstate New York, the seventh of nine boys. I started writing a few years ago, picking up where I had left off in college. My primary job is performing surgery, a general surgeon in Houston, TX; writing is a passion, but with the changes in health care may take center stage.
I hope you enjoy my futuristic novels, "Future Hope" and "Joshua and Aaron",both are populated with a colorful crew of characters: horseplayers, scientists, talented jet pilots, and others that will keep you glued to the page until the end.
And, there are two books I've written about surgery "Behind the Mask" and "Under the Drapes", which bring the reader into the world of surgery and into a surgeon's (often bizarre) mind.
Finally, look for the release of "Minotaur Revisited" an entertaining romp through history with the famed Minotaur of Greek Mythology.

Reviews

[Ellen Maze · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read Dr. Gelber's previous book allowing lay-people a look into the life of a surgeon ( Behind the Mask: The Mystique of Surgery and the Surgeons Who Perform Them ) and I eagerly awaited this one. Both books are filled with inside information that any potential patient or caregiver can appreciate, but both books are also infused with Dr. Gelber's unique and wonderful sense of humor. In "Under the Drapes", Dr. Gelber takes us through various explanations of why someone ends up on his table, humorously and sometimes tragically. He gives us a list of crazy things people stuck inside their bodies to have them removed (a fav chapter, lol), and all of this is covered professionally and with a straight-forward style. Maybe that's why when Dr. Gelber brings in some of his humor toward the end of the book, his wit is so dry and dead-pan, that it seems real. Who else would speculate how a surgeon might treat a vampire or werewolf? Of course, the Zombie is the easiest since he is already dead... You get a lot for your money with this sneak peek into the life of a doctor. I hope there are more non-fiction books coming out of the doctor's head.

PS: I have read his science fiction books and thriller stories and I recommend them both as well. "Future Hope" has a VERY original storyline that you can not even imagine... Future Hope: ITP Book One

[Valentina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book about surgery that Dr. Gelber has written, and this one was even better than the first one.
There is a wealth of information in here, and I don’t just mean for people in the medical field, but for anyone who reads it. It’s an intimate look at what goes on “behind the scenes” during surgery, with plenty of examples drawn from the author’s own practice or that of his colleagues. It can be a bit jarring at first to jump right in, because there are many, many medical terms, but, with a glossary in the back, it quickly becomes fascinating to see what each of those words means.
I particularly enjoyed the chapter called “Disasters”, mainly because of the honesty in the writing. The entire chapter is about medical cases that, for one reason or another, went wrong. The way that Dr. Gelber tells us about them, the sincerity in the way he describes what would have been a better procedure or better choice in hindsight, is worth the whole book.
That chapter is followed by some lighter ones, in which the author contemplates what it’d be like to treat superheroes like Superman or Spiderman, which is hilarious, and then another chapter on the surgical devices he’d like to create if reality and money wasn’t an issue. Very amusing as well.
This is a fascinating book, and I highly recommend it.

[Brian Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I previously read DR. Gelber's book, "Behind the Mask" and found it to be a fascinating look into the mind of a surgeon. Now he has written "Under the Drapes: More Mystique of Surgery" which looks at surgery from a different perspective. This book is a bit more technical than the first, zeroing in on some of the specific disease conditions that lead a patient to see a surgeon. He also has some chapters that reveal some of the unusual and bizarre things patients say and do, something people outside the medical world probably never hear of.

The chapter titled "Monsters and Heroes" was worth the price of the book; it was a funny and imaginative look at what would be necessary to operate on a variety of superheroes and monsters.

Overall, the book was well written, easy to read, especially if you have some medical background, informative and funny. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in surgery.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Under the Drapes: More Mystique of Surgery" is my follow up book to "Behind the Mask: The Mystique of Surgery and the Surgeons Who Perform Them". "Behind the Mask" took the reader into the head of the surgeon, examining the way surgeons think and how decisions are made before, during and after an operation. "Under the Drapes" reveals more about the reasons a patient may need an operation. The first part of the book looks at specific problems and medical conditions from the perspective of maintenance of normal body function. Chapters entitled "Flowing", "Leaks", "Stones", and several others present a variety of disease states that call for surgical intervention; anything that interferes with normal mechanical function of our bodies often calls for a surgeon to come and make repairs.

Later chapters look more at some of the remarkable, often unbelievable, things that patients may say or do in the course of their surgical treatment. And, the book would not be complete without some humorous commentary on the world of surgery.

"Under the Drapes" should provide an excellent supplement to "Behind the Mask" looking into the world of surgery from a new and different perspective, but still providing insights that are usually not available to readers who are not part of the everyday world of surgery.