Schnitt!: Die ganze Geschichte der Chirurgie erzählt in 28 Operationen

by Arnold van de Laar

Von den dunklen Anfangszeiten der Chirurgie, als noch ohne Betäubung amputiert wurde, über königliche Operationen bis zu den heutigen High-Tech-OPs – der Chirurg Arnold van de Laar beschreibt in seinem Buch so packend wie allgemeinverständlich die Geschichte der Chirurgie.
Ohne Fachbegriffe zu scheuen, aber doch leicht lesbar und gespickt mit zahlreichen interessanten Details gibt van de Laar einen spannenden Einblick in sein Fach.
In 28 Kapiteln erzählt er anhand berühmter Operationen, was genau im Operationsaal geschieht. Eingehend widmet er sich Erkrankungen und Verletzungen bekannter Persönlichkeiten wie Bob Marley, Kaiserin Sissi, Lenin, Königin Victoria, Einstein und Präsident Kennedy.
"Schnitt" ist eine faszinierender Reise durch die Königsdisziplin der Medizin, fesselnd erzählt von einer Koryphäe auf dem Gebiet der Chirurgie.

Genres: Nonfiction, Medicine, History, Science, Medical, Audiobook, Health

433 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[India M. Clamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books flood my box, arriving in electronic online formats and traditional (hardback/paperback) forms. The majority are written by surgeons on the verge of retirement---like Gawande---at the height of their careers offering a clear, frank “in your face” experience of the quotidian surgical struggles faced. It is a thoroughly engaging prefatory journey. Through personal experience (20 years), I find most surgeons are not only skilled with a knife but with words, direction and such is conveyed in neon-colored delineation painting vibrant verbal pictures not easily forgotten.

“Under The Knife” is a non-fiction book by surgeon Arnold Van De Laar. My version was translated from Dutch/narrated by a non-Dutch/non-surgeon named Rich Keeble. Under The Knife, cranks out some famous accounts of surgery and is ‘the history of surgery in 28 remarkable operations’. Dirty origins from “Lithotomy Surgeons” to the surgical mavens using precision via technological advancements we are fortunate to have today. The book is a true voyage through human body, opening up wide the ways (in the surgical theatre) things go terribly awry and what genius is called/paged/texted to solve issue or put an end to it.

If gore is not for you, pus or sayings in Latin are vulgar things, do not read this. Nasty, nefarious and pus-filled adventures are told in a ‘macabre’ trudge down the path and the read feels like getting the wind knocked out of you. This review is my latest in surgical streak and truth shines rather brightly in the gutter. Starts out with a frustrated Dutch man (who performs surgery on himself in 1651). Author is a surgeon in Amsterdam which means most deliciously that he imparts the details in a raw, clinical and straight forward manner on a most intelligent and fluid conveyance using tools like words, phrases in Latin, photos and intonation in non-monosyllabic way lacking idiocrasy.

Organization is commendable, and first case is our President (John F. Kennedy) another is George Washington (as we know, they both die) yet the details give us a clear surgical picture of what happened before clinical death. Cases from bullet wounds to fractures and gangrene, to obesity and anal fistula’s; the gamete of common surgeries is thoroughly covered. Under the Knife (is nakedly honest) imparts “technicolor” surgical lessons and most will find the surgeons descriptiveness unappealing and garish yet it’s told with clinical accuracy and becomes a colorful artistic masterpiece---as if Van Gogh was involved. Buy it, brilliant read, listen and visuals.

[CanadianReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Van de Laar, a Dutch laparoscopic surgeon, is a charming, witty, and erudite guide to surgery, and his book is a treasure trove of historical, medical, and anatomical information for curious and not-too-squeamish lay people. I understand that the book grew out of a regular column the surgeon wrote about historic surgical cases for a medical journal. Van de Laar mostly focuses on procedures performed on famous individuals. Some of the people who populate the pages of Under the Knife became famous as a result of the operations performed on them, or, in one case, because of an operation an individual performed on himself.

As the subtitle suggests, the reader learns how a number of operations were originally done and how they are generally carried out today. Before discussing each case, the author takes the reader through some basic regional anatomy. Valuable sidebars in each chapter introduce key medical concepts— inflammation, primary and secondary healing, etcetera. Perhaps this sounds dry to you. I assure you it’s not. Illustrations and photographs are occasionally included, but I wish there had been more. From time to time, I did an online search and watched a video of a procedure I had trouble visualizing.

All in all, a terrific book!

[Stefan Mitev · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Под ножа" е история на хирургията в 28 забележителни операции. Без никакво замисляне давам оценка 5 от 5 и съм сигурен, че книгата ще бъде полезна на всеки лекар, независимо от неговата специалност и интереси.

Нидерландският писател и хирург Арнолд ван де Лаар ни повежда в забележително пътуване в медицинската история. Първата глава е посветена на лекар, който сам се оперира и изважда камък от пикочния си мехур. Действието се развива в 16-ти век - без анестезия, без асептика, без помощен екип, само със скалпел. Следват увлекателни описания на причините и резултатите от операциите на известни личности - Алберт Айнщайн (аневризма на коремната аорта), Ерик Вайс (по-известен като Хари Худини - перитонит), Джон Кенеди (огнестрелна рана) и убиецът му Лий Харви Осуалд (огнестрелна рана), папа Йоан Павел Втори (огнестрелна рана), Луи XIV (анална фистула), Ленин (инсулт). Специално внимание е отделено на водещите хирурзи за своето време - американците Уилям Халстед, Харви Кушинг и Майкъл ДеБейки, австриецът Теодор Билрот, французинът Жул Емил Пеан.

Може би най-интересната история за мен беше свързана с двама музиканти, които губят живота си по сходен начин. Те отказват ампутация на палеца на крака си. Жан Батист Люли е водещ композитор от епохата на барока и част от най-близкото обкръжение на краля слънце Луи XIV. Той влиза в ролята на диригент при изпълнение на собствените си произведения,. През 17-ти век диригентската палка всъщност е масивен скиптър. Композиторът по невнимание изпуска тежкия предмет върху палеца на крака си, а раната се инфектира. Единственото лечение по онова време е ампутация. Жан Батист Люли отказва операцията, защото след нея ще загуби привилегирования си пост в кралския двор. Не след дълго целият крак е обхванат от гангрена, което тогава е било смъртна присъда. Далеч по-познатият на широката публика Боб Марли умира по сходен начин, защото отказва ампутация на палеца на крака, където под нокътя се развива агресивен кожен тумор - малигнен меланом. Боб Марли ни напуска млад заради грешния си избор, наложен от неговата религия - растафарианство. Понякога религията убива.

Прочетете книгата и ще знаете повече за историята на медицината от много лекари.

[Grumpus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this stuff...medical history. It makes me thankful everyday for living in this time. Our ancestors must have been extremely tough people. Between disease, infections, wars, and starvation, I am continually amazed how any of us are here today. We are certainly a resilient species.

This book covers some interesting historical operations. Other reviewers mention the graphic descriptions as a negative. I thought them very necessary and described and explained in a most medical manner--in other words, as one interested in this topic would hope and expect.

All of the following chapters have unique historical stories of how the operations were handled at the time vs. how they would be handled today (again, thankful to be living in this time) as well as a medical explanation of how things are supposed to work. You will find something of interest in these chapters and you will learn something. Recommended.

1. Lithotomy
2. Asphyxia
3. Wound Healing
4. Shock
5. Obesity
6. Stoma
7. Fracture
8. Varicose Veins
9. Peritonitis
10. Narcosis
11. Gangrene
12. Diagnosis
13. Complications
14. Dissemination
15. Abdomen
16. Aneurysm
17. Laparoscopy
18. Castration
19. Lung Cancer
20. Placebo
21. Umbilical Hernia
22. Short Stay, Fast Track
23. Mors in tabula
24. Prosthesis
25. Stroke
26. Gastrectomy
27. Anal fistula
28. Electricity

[Avid · Rating 1 out of 5]

For two reasons, i was unable to finish this book. Most importantly was the quality of the writing. It reads very much like a high school science report, including liberal use of the second person singular (eg: “, All you need is something sharp,...”) which, IMHO, is unacceptable in published non-fiction writing.

Second, descriptions of wounds and procedures were, i thought, gratuitously graphic. I was expecting some graphic descriptions from a book about surgeries, but there are tasteful, professional ways to depict surgical situations without deliberately attempting to gross out the reader.

I have read other medical/science authors whose written treatment of their subjects was professional and informative, even entertaining (paul kalanithi, abraham verghese, atul gawande, mary roach, et al). This author may be a fine surgeon, but he’s not a good writer. I found this book to be unreadable.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting look at some of the notable operations throughout history, and the impact they had on the development of surgery as it is today. 'Under the Knife' describes itself as a history of surgery, but it is more accurately a history of particular surgeries - especially those on important or otherwise famous individuals. These surgeries covered a wide range of conditions and surgical disciplines, and each was incredibly well explained, with surgical terminology made very accessible to the lay reader.

I loved the premise of this book and thought Arnold van der Laar wrote very concise explanations. I do think it is a book better read in short chunks rather than sitting down and reading it in one sitting - it can become quite dry and repetitive. However, by reading it a few chapters at a time, it did become a very enjoyable book.

Recommended for anyone interested in general history or surgery.

[Jackie Law · Rating 5 out of 5]

Under the Knife: The History of Surgery in 28 Remarkable Operations, by Arnold van de Laar, offers an eye watering, riveting, always accessible account of surgical techniques and development from biblical times through to the present day. The operations detailed focus on well known names – figureheads, tyrants and celebrities – as well as the medical practitioners who pioneered new practices, mostly without anaesthetic. Along the way technical terms commonly used by doctors are explained.

With the benefit of hindsight the unhygienic conditions that prevailed for so long may horrify, as will recurring treatments such as blood letting. For centuries surgeons and doctors were regarded separately, each developing their skills but rarely working together. Progress was sometimes accidental with a key observation or new practice ridiculed by peers until accepted by a high profile patient.

“in the Middle Ages common sense was obscured by tradition. Rather than looking at the results of their actions, our medieval forefathers would follow what some great predecessor had written in an ancient book.”

The Hippocratic Oath, historically taken by medical students as a step towards qualifying as a doctor, used to contain the line ‘I will not cut for stone’, implying that such dangerous practices as lithotomy – stone cutting – should be left to experts. The first operation detailed in the book involves a Dutch man who ignored this advice and, in desperation, cut out his own bladder stone at home. It was larger than a chicken’s egg and somehow he survived. The formation of such stones is explained as is the more standard operation to remove them and how this has changed over the years. Bladder stones are caused by bacteria. What was once an everyday complaint is now rare.

Treatment for asphyxia – problems with breathing – is then explored by detailing treatment of a very famous patient following a shooting – President John F. Kennedy. As we know he did not survive, following in the footsteps of the first president of the United States, George Washington, who suffocated after his doctors refused to perform a tracheotomy – a cut into the windpipe to allow air into the lungs. This and similar treatments are described along with when and why they may be needed.

Further chapters cover other common complaints: wound healing, including reasons for circumcision; shock, which in medical terms means a failure of the blood’s circulatory system; obesity and its complications, recurrent amongst popes over the years; fracture; varicose veins and other problems caused when our ancestors decided to walk on two legs; peritonitis, which killed Harry Houdini; narcosis and the introduction of anaesthetics for which Queen Victoria was thankful; gangrene; aneurysm; castration; hernia; stroke and more.

Bob Marley died because his religion forbade him from accepting required treatment. Alan Shepard became the fifth man to walk on the moon thanks to a placebo. Lenin suffered multiple strokes throughout his life, the causes and effects of which likely contributed to making him the tyrant he became, although he may have been felled due to lead poisoning from a bullet that remained in his body following a shooting years previously.

As well as detailing key operations, methods of diagnosis are discussed along with complications that can arise due to surgical error. Successful surgeons can become much sought after, especially by those willing and able to pay. Michael DeBakey was one such man in the twentieth century. Described as a maestro by his famous patients he enjoyed to the full his reputation and fame. Nevertheless he dismissed an assistant’s concern during an operation and did not follow through when the patient, the deposed Shah of Iran, developed worrying post operative symptoms which ultimately led to the former leader’s death.

“great surgeons can sometimes make a mistake. Complications are, after all, part and parcel of operations and the risk of problems can never be counted out, no matter how great you are.”

Each of the twenty-eight chapters offers a fascinating insight into surgical developments and subsequent treatment. They are written with sympathy and wit in a style that enables lay readers to understand and learn more about doctor’s reasoning, vernacular and limitations.

For anyone interested in little known medical issues suffered by the famous over the centuries, in how their own body functions and the work of those who may be called upon to keep it going, this is a well structured, digestible, recommended read.

[Nostalgiaplatz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interessante, divertente, alla portata anche del lettore privo di competenze mediche. L'autore, chirurgo egli stesso, in ventinove capitoli dedicati ad altrettante tipologie di intervento, narra la storia della chirurgia, guardando all'epoca in cui era un'arte sanguinosa che più facilmente conduceva alla tomba che alla guarigione. Nell'introduzione si ricorda Ambroise Paré, che nel 1537 solo per caso scoprì che “curare” le ferite da arma da fuoco con olio bollente faceva più male che bene, e da lì si inizia un viaggio fra curiosità storiche e mediche che, oltre a ampliare la vostra cultura generale, costituiranno anche ottimi aneddoti da raccontare ad amici e parenti, nonché originalissimi modi per iniziare una conversazione con le nuove conoscenze (poi forse vi giudicheranno tipi strambi, ma di certo resterete impressi).
C'è Jan de Doot, il fabbro olandese del 1600 si operò da solo per eliminare un calcolo alla vescica, c'è la fistola anale del Re Sole (che in qualche modo è legata alla morte del compositore di corte Lully), l'appendicite di Houdini, l'autopsia di Kennedy, i vari tipi di castrazione e l'effetto placebo... ci sono spiegazioni sul come e perché certi tipi di malattie si sono diffuse in determinate zone geografiche ed epoche storiche, nonché le problematiche che il nostro camminare eretti ci ha causato, dai problemi alle articolazioni alle vene varicose. Ci viene raccontata l'origine dell'endoscopia, della laparoscopia, dell'anestesia e delle protesi: era il 1893 quando il chirurgo francese Péan sostituì l'articolazione tubercolotica della spalla di un paziente con una protesi meccanica in platino e gomma indurita trattata in maniera particolare.
E c'è molto altro... abbastanza da affascinarvi e da farvi ringraziare tre volte al giorno di vivere in un'epoca di anestesia, ambienti asettici e interventi miracolosi.

[Charlene · Rating 1 out of 5]

I cannot believe how many good reviews this book got. I bought it at the same time as The Knife Man (bad title, great book) and the Butchering Art. I read both of those books first and loved them, to an extreme degree. Then I read this. The author said that no one back in the early days of surgery had any common sense. If it were common sense, then most common people would have sensed that they should wash their hands prior to coming into contact with a wound. But the germ theory was not at all common sense and took a lot of investigation before it could get a foothold and change the face of medicine forever. While this book had some interesting cases, the writing was terrible. There was not any real complexity to the history and advancement in surgical technique and knowledge.

Toward the end of the book, there was a sentence about how women were largely kept out of the study of medicine. I remember thinking to myself, "Ah ok, he was saving his critical thinking for the end. Maybe I will give this 3 stars instead of 2. " But, in a flash any mention of women in surgery was gone. Why even bring it up if you are going to not even do it the justice of glossing over it. What is mentioned in this book doesn't count as glossing over or even an after thought. What was the point?

Really disliked this book. It made me think I was at a party, forced to stand next to someone who was annoyingly arrogant, and I was cornered and could not walk away.

[Literary Redhead · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a former medical writer, I was intrigued by this history of surgery described by a laparoscopic surgeon through 28 famous operations of notables including JFK, Louis XIV, Houdini, and Einstein. How far we’ve come from blood letting to today’s robotic procedures, and the author takes us right into the operating suite in its various iterations over centuries. 4/5 stars

Pub Date 02 Oct 2018

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#UnderTheKnife #NetGalley

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you wanna know more about why a prostate is called a prostate? Why we use anesthesia the way we do today? How we operate on limbs, bones and heart? The history of many medical procedures and the social/cultural environment in which they arose? Look no further than this book. With a clear hand and a good sense of humour, van de Laar invites you into a world of curiosity and respect for and towards the surgical world. I love books like these, from which I can get my dose of: "oh I had no idea this is why X happened!". 100% recommend.

[Annina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich schwanke zwischen 3 und 4 Sternen. Es ist sehr gut geschrieben und auch für Medizinlaien verständlich. Ich hatte vielleicht noch etwas andere Erwartungen. Wer aber Humanmedizin mag und insbesondere die Entwicklung davon sollte dieses Buch lesen. Ich werde es meiner Schwester weitergeben, die Krankenschwester ist. Sie wird es lieben!

[Izzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

dense and a bit unorganized but still really enjoyable. a new favorite nonfiction book that provided a lot of insight into the history of surgery and surgeons, while still managing to be funny and informative.

[Marlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weißt du, warum der Steinschnitt, steinschnitt heißt? Oder was es mit sissy’s Tod auf dich hat? Auch für nicht- Mediziner glaube ich ist dieses Buch total spannend und erklärt fragen, die man sich davor noch nie gestellt hat. Total interessant und spannend erzählt Van de Laar wie sich die Medizin entwickelt und welche Irrtümer für lange Zeit weiter praktiziert wurden. Eine totale Empfehlung!
Nur Achtung: es wird nichts geschönt oder unausgesprochen gelassen.

[Gertrudez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Demorei pra terminar por vários motivos (inclusive passar mal enquanto lia já que eu só pego esses livros por causa do design, as histórias me dão agonia), mas esse é de longe o melhor dos que já li da série - falta o 3. O autor escreve muito bem e, diferente dos outros, não faz piadas sem graça zoando pacientes. Ele realmente gosta do que faz e dá pra ver nas explicações, além de ter uma escrita inclusiva. Poderia ter escrito toda a série.

[Orrezz · Rating 4 out of 5]

לא כל האנקדוטות בספר מעניינות באותה מידה, אבל הכול נכתב בצורה פשוטה וקוהרנטית ומתובל בשפע אמיתות היסטוריות והומור בריא. הפרק בסוף שמהגג על ניתוחים בסרטי מדע בדיוני היה הפתעה מענגת במיוחד.

[Tibor Jánosi-Mózes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mindenki saját nézőpontjában látja a történelmet, egy sebész miért látná másképpen? Híres esetek, híres történelmi személyek, betegségeik és híres sebészeti beavatkozások. Nem lehet érdektelen senki számára.
Aggódtam, hogy az írás akadozó lesz, de kellemesen csalódtam. Szépen vezetett mű, rengeteg laikus számára is értékes ismeretet ad.
Voltak gyomorforgató leírások benne, de ügyelt a szező arra, hogy ne feszítse túl a húrt...

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been on quite a nonfiction kick this year, haven't I? Anyway, usual disclaimer: opinions expressed in this review are my own and do not reflect those of my employers.

I picked this up mostly for fun and fast reading, and because the short chapters suit my current mood (overwhelmed by doing a master's program in the evening while working full time, and in need of a quick escape from the glare of the computer screen before bed). Plus I am interested in popular medical books because both my parents and my sister are in different aspects of health care. Plus again, the back-back-back burner novel I mentioned in my last review involves a surgeon and two surgeries (though neither type of surgery was described in this book).

Van de Laar provides a very casual introduction to different kinds of surgery throughout history. Very casual--there are no citations in the text, a few of the chapters aren't actually about surgery, and I wasn't totally clear on why the chapters were arranged in the order that they were. Chapters on John F. Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald were at opposite ends of the book. One chapter about diagnosis actually talked about fictional detectives, which seemed a bit like pandering to a popular audience to me--and the fact that van de Laar talked about the fact that Arthur Conan Doyle had medical experience but failed to mention that Doyle's mentor, Dr. Joseph Bell, was actually the one with observational techniques that inspired Sherlock Holmes' style of deduction felt like a major omission. Bell would have been a more interesting focus for the chapter than fictional detectives--not even doctors!

It also stings that in the era of the #metoo movement there's not a single female surgeon described in this book. Surely women must have made some valuable contributions in the history of surgery. Since a couple of the chapters aren't actually about surgery, then off the top of my head I would say that Lady Mary Wortley Montagu would be worth a mention for her work in bringing inoculation against smallpox into Europe (read the excellent The Speckled Monster: A Historical Tale of Battling Smallpox for more information about her).

Finally, the book is definitely written for a non-U.S. audience: some medical vocabulary is European rather than American (the large intestine is the "great intestine", and it's "paediatric" rather than "pediatric" for example); and Celsius and meters/centimeters are used instead of Fahrenheit and feet/inches. I mean, it's only fair, given that the U.S. is a special snowflake that does things differently from the rest of the sensibly Metric world, but on the other hand, this is a U.S. edition...

But the historical anecdotes were interesting and amusing. I may have a tougher stomach than some, but there were certainly some graphic depictions of diseases and operations that had me making funny faces on the subway--to the amusement, I sometimes noticed, of my fellow riders. I may have also had too much fun reading any operation on male genitals to the S.O. in my life. The book got its revenge his behalf with the chapter on Queen Caroline's umbilical hernia.

Overall, this was a fun and fluffy history of surgery...but definitely not a good source to cite for any kind of academic writing.

And now, time to stop procrastinating and get back to homework!

[Ayten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich hab gerade nachgeschaut: vor fast genau 6 Jahren (+ 1 Woche) habe ich dieses Buch auf meine tbr-Liste gepackt, und als ich es vor paar Monaten zufällig fand, wusste ich, dass es nicht lange im Regal warten wird.

So ein tolles Buch! Ich habe es geliebt... Voller interessanter Geschichten und Informationen (dank mancher ich laut keuchen oder würgen musst...)

Es ist sehr gut verständlich für nicht-Mediziner und enthält auch ein nützliches Glossar, falls man sich nicht mehr recht erinnert.

Die Chirurgie war und ist leider auch heute teils noch ein männlich-dominiertes Feld (worauf der Autor immerhin kurz hinweist), und auch wenn es um mehrere Patientinnen ging, hätte ich mir zumindest ein Kapitel zu einer Operation an weiblichen Geschlechtsorganen gewünscht.
Ein Penis ist kein besonders komplexes Organ, und dennoch befassen sich 2 von 28 Kapiteln damit (Die Beschneidung und Kastration). In der Medizin wurde der weibliche Körper schon immer weniger berücksichtigt, weswegen es wohl auch weniger Quellen zu Operationen an diesem geben wird, aber allein diese Lücke aufzuzeigen wäre meiner Meinung nach immerhin ein Kapitel wert.
Wir reden schließlich von der Hälfte der Menschen, die jahrhundertelang benachteiligt wurde...

[Patrick O'Donoghue]

I was granted this book on #netgalley and have been dipping in and out of it on my way to work. Let me tell you, reading about ruptured bowels, amputations, circumcision and bloodletting first thing in the morning certainly put me off my breakfast. It’s also quite terrifying to realise all the things that can go wrong with your body, through no fault of your own. Anyone who has ever watched Embarrassing Bodies on Channel 4 knows exactly what I mean.

Sometimes when I get books on netgalley there are errors as the books are often still proofs. Sometimes there are formatting issues or the text may contain notes betwen the author and copy editor, which is all quite interesting. In the case of this book there were so random asides that spiralled away from the main point that I decided to check out a final copy from the library. I felt like I was reading an unfinished draft and wanted to make sure I was reading what the author intended.
However, the news was not good.
I checked where I had read up to on my kindle, found the corresponding section in the book, and discovered I had arrived at the chapter titled ‘Anal Fistula’. So far, so horrifying.
The first paragraph has a sentence which says ‘King Louis XIV...was, in James Brown’s words, like a sex machine.’ Now, like me, you may be wondering what King Louis XIV has to do with James Brown, and Dear Reader, you will not be surprised to know they have sweet F.A. to do with one another. The section doesn’t even provide very much information about Louis’s sex life, if indeed he was a sex machine.
Throughout the book there are strange comments like this. It’s as if the author is trying to make a joke, but it doesn’t quite work. Stick to the pertinent information Mr Author Man, there aint nothing funny about anal fistulas or getting your foreskin bashed off with a sharpened stone. True fact.

There seems to have been a recent boom in medical books aimed at the general reader, both memoirs and books about particular aspects of surgery. Unfortunately this is not up there with the best of them. I’m disappointed, and quite frankly surprised that this book made it to publication in its current state.

[Hilary (Melted Books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy five-star read for me. I'd picked this audiobook up on a whim, and it was such a find. Not only does this book describe the technicalities of each surgery, but Arnold van de Laar uses recognizable historical moments (e.g. JKF's assassination, the death of Harry Houdini) to illustrate their cultural importance as well as their significance in the medical field. I learned so much reading this book, and I definitely want a physical copy for my shelves. Surprisingly, my favorite chapter covered the King Louis XIV and his anal fistulas...SO many sociohistorical tidbits in this chapter.
Something to note: as you may have already guessed, this book involves vivid description of surgical procedures that involve blood.

[Harbir · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is more aimed at the people who want to know whether medicine/ surgery is their field that they want to go into, It gives brief insight into past surgical methods and more recent discoveries. It covers some famous cases in which i did not know certain things had occurred when i had studied these cases in my forensic lectures. Yes it was written very briefly but it was not written "badly" like most people o0n here seem to be saying, it is aimed at more a junior reader who wants to explore the area of surgery and medicine. It was a very informative read and i thoroughly enjoyed it on paper and audible.

[Em Meurer (emcanread) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The history of surgery told through case studies.

There are so many better books about the history of surgery out there. The thing that bothered me the most in this book, however, was the fact that women’s contribution to the history of medicine and surgery was relegated to the very last few paragraphs. A horrible ending to a not great book.

[Nima Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

very fascinating.

[Ardon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve started believing more in two specific things as of late. The first is that Stockholm Syndrome is real and the second is that I might enter surgical training post qualification. These two beliefs are inexorably linked - a lot of my PhD demands long hours of mouse work, requiring dissection, injections, and measurements. Amidst the 6:00am starts and 3am ends, I found myself revelling in using my hands, even gamifying the work (e.g. how fast can I excise a tumour out of a mouse) along the way.

In an effort to disentangle these two recent beliefs, I’ve started looking for more books on surgery, coming across this one quite recently. Fascinatingly, it’s about so much more than the history of surgery, indeed, it is a larger treatise on how specific conditions and surgical interventions designed to treat them have written the pages of history. Van de Laar uses a large range of historical events and figures, ranging from Roman Emperors to Bob Marley, to delve into some of the most common surgical interventions carried out in the 21st century.

There are some particularly amazing highlights among these. One of my personal favourites was how he was able to debunk the “second shooter” theory with regards to the assasination of JFK, explaining how anatomically and surgically, the “missing” bullet hole was really repurposed for a tracheostomy, resulting in the pathologist not recognising it as an exit wound and fueling the conspiracy theory that there was a larger plot to assasinate the president. I also really enjoyed the coverage of Al Shepard’s Meneire’s disease in the larger context of several important American space age programmes (covered at length in one of my favourite books, The Right Stuff).

Van de Laar also does a fantastic job at explaining the evolutionary origin of what most medical students and doctors consider to be boring conditions (e.g. varicose veins), which paints them with a much needed splash of colour! He also introduces some very cogent analyses which one would never find in medical or surgical textbooks. For example, there is a really interesting chapter comparing and contrasting a bacterial infection with the development of a cancer. I was particularly fascinated by this part as I set my students an essay based around the same sort of thing every year - they will certainly be held to higher standards this year!

To circle back to those two recent beliefs I discussed at the start of this review, I think I can reasonably eliminate one - there is much in this book which resonates with those who enjoy using their hands and developing dexterity, in no small part due to its fantastic writing and insightful analysis of surgical conditions and techniques.

[Bibliotecabby · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐

Primera lectura del año 1/50
En líneas generales fue una buena lectura. Estuvo bastante entretenida. Mezcla dos de mis intereses restringidos que son la historia y la medicina, era muy difícil que no me gustase 😂😂


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🟢 Aspectos POSITIVOS (que me han gustado):

👍🏼 Las explicaciones y descripciones de los procedimientos son detalladas sin ser abrumadoras

👍🏼 La terminología específica está explicada de forma sencilla siendo accesible. Esto crea cercanía y hace que el lector (tenga los conocimientos previos que tenga) pueda adentrarse y aprender.

👍🏼 Hay anécdotas muy graciosas a la par que interesantes.

👍🏼 Es una forma diferente de acercar la medicina y la historia al público. Y sobre todo hacer que se interesen más en estos temas.



🔴 Aspectos NEGATIVOS (que NO me han gustado):

👎🏼 Muchas veces se pierde el foco de atención en el tema principal, se entretiene con minucias y asuntos poco relevantes.

👎🏼 Es muy palpable la corriente de pensamiento o los ideales (prejuicios) que tiene el autor y en cierto sentido hace que se note algo sesgada la narración (ejemplo: comentarios con un tinte un tanto gordofóbico).

👎🏼 La primera mitad me gustó mucho más. Sentía que a media que avanzaba, retrocedía. (si es que eso tiene algún sentido).

👎🏼 A pesar de no ser un libro muy extenso, tengo la sensación de que le sobran unas cuantas páginas que no aportan nada.

👎🏼 Me daba la sensación todo el rato de que desprestigiada la labor de los médicos en favor de la de los cirujanos.


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⚠️ TW ⚠️ : descripciones detalladas sobre enfermedades, sangre, amputaciones, infecciones... Si eres aprensiv@ mejor que no lo leas.

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¿Lo recomendaría?
Sí, pero no a todo el mundo.

[Mehmet Serhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kitap; şok, varis, göbek fıtığı, obezite, akciğer kanseri gibi başlıklar taşıyan ve her biri ünlü bir tarihsel kişilikle ilişkilendirilen bir tıbbi probleme ve çözüm yollarına dikkat çeken 28 bölümden oluşuyor. Her bölümün, aynı oranda akıcı bir okumaya izin verdiğini ve ilgiyi her zaman canlı tuttuğunu söylemek mümkün değil. Bazı bölümleri bir solukta okudum ama bazılarını da 2-3 oturumda ancak bitirebildim. "Plasebo" ve "Hadım" başlıklı iki bölümü özellikle beğendim. Yazarı tıbbi terimleri açıklama, ameliyat tekniklerini basitçe anlatabilme konusunda da başarılı buldum.
Bir de ilginç bir şey öğrendim. Travmatoloji mesleğinin berberler tarafından yürütüldüğü dönemlerde; berberler başarılı bir tedavi sonrası kana bulanmış beyaz sargı bezlerini tabela gibi dükkanlarının önüne asarlarmış. Günümüzde berber dükkanını gösteren kırmızı-beyaz direkler buradan geliyormuş.

[Stephanie Arellano · Rating 5 out of 5]

“La historia de mi profesión se puede explicar desde dos perspectivas: una épica, llena de actos heroicos de grandes cirujanos que plantan cara a circunstancias adversas; la otra, un relato de sus pacientes, cuya vida o muerte a veces se dirige en la mesa de operaciones”, Arnold van de Laar. Una joya de libro donde explica la historia de la cirugía a través de 29 operaciones célebres.

[Rosie Carbery · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5⭐️ This started out SUPER interesting but got progressively less so as the book went on. Still a great topic though. I love how medieval surgeons just did whatever they bloody wanted and people were like; might as well try 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is REALLY good. I loved it.