Monday, November 28, 2016

Do no harm

Written: 10 October 2016
 
Excerpts from Do No Harm - Stories of Life, Death and Brain Surgery: 
 
+ The spinal cord is more vulnerable than the brain. 
 
+ Often it is better to leave the patient's disease to run its natural course and not to operate at all. 
 
 + The Ukrainians give flowers to each other on any social occasion. 
 
+ Having spent six months watching surgeons operating I decided that this was what I should do. I found its controlled and altruistic violence deeply appealing. 
 
+ The brain cannot itself feel pain since pain is a phenomenon produced within the brain. If my patients' brains could feel me touching them they would need a second brain somewhere to register the sensation. 
 
+ It is both a compliment and a curse when your colleagues ask you to treat them. All surgeons feel anxious when treating colleagues.

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