Review: Extraordinary Hearts: A Journey of Cardiac Medicine and the Human Spirit by John A. Elefteriades, MD

3 stars for Extraordinary Hearts: A Journey of Cardiac Medicine and the Human Spirit by John A. Elefteriades, MD.

This book is about the human heart and the human spirit that dwells within. The author is a medical doctor and heart surgeon. In this book, he shares ten of the cases that have touched him the most and leave a deep imprint on his being.

Besides getting to know the daily life of this cardiac surgeon and some of his patients, readers also learn about the different heart conditions such as coronary artery disease, aortic aneurysm, aortic dissection, and cardiac reparative procedures. I especially enjoy the author's sharing of real-life clinical application of suspended animation in cardiac surgery under Still Life in chapter 5. It is also interesting to learn about the two nurses, the scrub nurse and the circulating nurse, in any operating room, their responsibilities and importance.

Though there are shortcomings that still exist in modern-day medicine, it is amazing to see how science and medicine have advanced to the stage where the heart-lung machine has been invented to enable heart operations to take place smoothly. It is an eye-opener to see how modern surgery offers solutions and treatments in a bid to prolong life.

Extraordinary Hearts is a good to know book. It is informational as well as educational. However, I cannot help but wonder if it is also about fame and wealth and riches. Almost all the cases mentioned involved patients who are well-known and in all likelihood, well-to-do. I wonder if the author will remember a patient enough to want to share his or her story if it is the average man in the street. I doubt so. Also, I feel that the doctor gets carried away by the background of the patients he chooses to share in his book. He delves too much into the specifics of these patients' careers, what they do, and how famous or popular or well-liked they are by their community.

Finally, what I cannot stand the most in this book, is the author's constant reference of his cases in relation to his religious belief. Yes, we never know what will happen to those patients with severe heart and health issues, both during and after the heart operation. They may not survive. Or they will pull through to be long-term survivors, and if they do, they are not miracles but statistical outliers. They have a chance to continue living because of the surgery performed by the good doctor.

As I mentioned above, Extraordinary Hearts is a good to know book. However, it is not a book suitable for all. Half of the book is dedicated to knowing the human heart and open-heart surgery, the other half to the human spirit and whatever else. So, depending on one's worldview and religious beliefs, this can either be an enjoyable read or an annoying one.


Publisher: Berkley; 1st edition
Publication date: 1 Apr 2014

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Dr. Elefteriades, one of the most respected cardiac surgeons in America, has treated more than 10,000 patients in his distinguished career. Now, for the first time, he shares fascinating stories of his most memorable patients and cases—patients who have challenged him technically and moved him emotionally, patients who have enriched his life and expanded his horizons while he cared for their hearts. By detailing heart conditions and cardiac reparative procedures with specific yet accessible medical narratives, Dr. Elefteriades encapsulates the beauty, complexity, and majesty of the human heart.

But there is far more to this organ—and these stories—than a collection of veins, arteries, and valves. These are stories of courage, miracles, and the bravery of patients (some famous and others not) and their families when facing nearly insurmountable challenges, offering a thought-provoking, informative, and at times heart-wrenching study of the resilience of both the human body and spirit.

*Blurb from Goodreads*

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