Empire of the Scalpel by Ira Rutkow M D

Empire of the Scalpel by Ira Rutkow M D

From an eminent surgeon and historian comes the "by turns fascinating and ghastly" (The New York Times Book Review, Editors' Choice) story of surgery's development--from the Stone Age to the present day--blending meticulous medical research with vivid storytelling.

There are not many life events that can be as simultaneously frightening and hopeful as a surgical operation. In America, tens-of-millions of major surgical procedures are performed annually, yet few of us consider the magnitude of these figures because we have such inherent confidence in surgeons. And, despite passionate debates about health care and the media's endless fascination with surgery, most of us have no idea how the first surgeons came to be because the story of surgery has never been fully told. Now, Empire of the Scalpel elegantly reveals surgery's fascinating evolution from its early roots in ancient Egypt to its refinement in Europe and rise to scientific dominance in the United States.

From the 16th-century saga of Andreas Vesalius and his crusade to accurately describe human anatomy while appeasing the conservative clergy who clamored for his burning at the stake, to the hard-to-believe story of late-19th century surgeons' apathy to Joseph Lister's innovation of antisepsis and how this indifference led to thousands of unnecessary surgical deaths, Empire of the Scalpel is both a global history and a uniquely American tale. You'll discover how in the 20th century the US achieved surgical leadership, heralded by Harvard's Joseph Murray and his Nobel Prize-winning, seemingly impossible feat of transplanting a kidney, which ushered in a new era of transplants that continues to make procedures once thought insurmountable into achievable successes.

Today, the list of possible operations is almost infinite--from knee and hip replacement to heart bypass and transplants to fat reduction and rhinoplasty--and "Rutkow has a raconteur's touch" (San Francisco Chronicle) as he draws on his five-decade career to show us how we got here. Comprehensive, authoritative, and captivating, Empire of the Scalpel is "a fascinating, well-rendered story of how the once-impossible became a daily reality" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).

Ira M. Rutkow, a medical historian and retired surgeon, holds a doctorate in public health in addition to his medical degree. His other books include Seeking the Cure: A History of Medicine in America (978-1-4165-3841-7), James A. Garfield (978-0-8050-6950-1), and the New York Times Notable Book Surgery: An Illustrated History (978-0-8016-6078-8). He lives in New York City and the Hudson Valley.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781501163753
ISBN 10	1501163752
Title	Empire of the Scalpel
Author	Ira Rutkow M D
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Scribner Book Company
Year published	2023-02-14
Number of pages	416
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.