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Complications

Complications

Biography & MemoirEssays
Pages
320
Published
2002
Language
English

Synopsis

In "Complications," surgeon Atul Gawande shares true stories from the operating room, revealing the uncertainties and human elements of medicine. He offers a direct look at the practice of surgery, showing its challenges and triumphs from the perspective of those on the front lines.

Prose complexity
7/10

Vibe

InformativeReflectiveThought-ProvokingEmotional

Genres

Biography & Memoir Essays Health Medicine Biography Memoir Science

About the author

A
Atul Gawande

Atul Gawande, MD, MPH, is a surgeon, writer, and public health researcher. For more than 20 years, he has practiced general and endocrine surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He is Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Samuel O. Thier Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School. He is also Executive Director of Ariadne Labs, a joint center for health systems innovation, and Chairman of Lifebox, a nonprofit orga...

Frequently asked questions

  • How does Complications relate to Atul Gawande's other books?

    This book serves as an excellent introduction to Gawande's writing, establishing his signature style of blending personal anecdotes with broader medical insights. Readers who appreciate his later works, such as 'Better' and 'Being Mortal,' will find the foundational themes of medical fallibility and the human experience in healthcare already present here.

  • Is Complications based on real medical cases?

    The book draws directly from Gawande's experiences and observations as a surgeon, presenting real medical cases and the dilemmas faced by practitioners. While details may be altered for patient privacy, the core events and ethical questions are rooted in actual clinical practice.

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