Denton A. Cooley, Bigger than Texas
Modify, simplify, apply Denton A. Cooley, motto of The Texas Heart Institute. A story had circulated about Denton Cooley, the famous Houston-based surgeon and innovator, an exceptionally gifted man. While testifying in court, Dr. Cooley was asked by the opposing attorney if he considered himself to be the best heart surgeon in the world. “Yes, […]
Francis Robicsek, the Renaissance Man.
He was Hungarian. His name, however, like the name of the city he was born, Miskolc, was Slavic. He came from the part of Eastern Europe which for a long time was dominated culturally and politically by the Austrians, and the borders between the nations were in constant flux. He grew up in a country […]
Cardiac Pacemakers
My uncle died in Poland during the implant of his permanent pacemaker. At that time, I was a medical student, and I thought I should be able to understand why did it happen. I couldn’t, and I still don’t. A few years later, I came to this country and started doing the implants myself. It’s […]
Forty-five years of cardiac surgery
In my gym, I meet the best people, and have the most interesting conversations, in the jacuzzi. It’s located in a corner of the large pool area and surrounded by a huge bay window extension. The sun is abundant, the water seems tropical, and, if I would drink, I would only ask for little drinks […]
Why Doctors Commit Suicides
This had happened at the end of one of my surgical boards’ exams, quite a long time ago. The day was long and we were all exhausted. We were also anxious to know if we passed. Years of studies, sacrifices and high expectations finally came to the end. We were about to become board certified. […]
The Physicians with an Artistic Mind
Recently, I came across of a unique book. This work is a tribute by Dr. Gosta Iwasiuk to his father Vladimir. It’s an anthology of the works of a person, who created a magnificent body of paintings and sculptures. In his spare time, he was also a physician. Born just before WW1 started, Vladimir went […]
How to Deal with Anger like Buddha
One day, the Buddha and a large following of monks and nuns were passing through a village. The Buddha chose a large shade tree to sit beneath, so the group could rest for a while out of the heat. He often chose times like these to teach, and so he began to speak. Soon, villagers […]
Anger in the operating room
This scene looks familiar to most people who ever worked in the operating room. A high-power doctor, say a cardiac surgeon, is doing a long and complicated case. The stakes are high, the chances for complications significant, and he dreads any mistakes. Everybody in the room senses a tense situation, and all people walk on […]
Story behind the picture
There are no colleges in Poland. In our last year of high school, we had to decide where to continue our education. To help us make a conscious choice, our beloved Latin, French and an ancient history teacher, Mrs. Libera invited several of her graduated students to talk to us about professions they chose. To […]
