Surgical limits : the life of Gordon Murray / Shelley McKellar.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

By presenting the controversial figure of Gordon Murray within the context of the development of Canadian medicine and surgical practices, McKellar's exceptional biography of an extraordinary surgeon makes a major contribution to the history of modern surgery.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

Actor Christopher Reeve ("Superman") probably would have made a pilgrimage to Toronto to consult Dr. Gordon Murray, who in November 1967 "stunned the ... [world] with his announcement of a cure for paraplegia." Murray (1894-1976), a renowned surgeon and pioneer in the use of heparin, developed North America's first artificial kidney machine. As Canada's celebrated "blue baby doctor," he developed heart valve replacement and coronary artery bypass procedures. An extremely gifted and ingenious surgeon, he apparently could make miracles happen. He was at his professional peak in the 1950s; he was showered with awards and came to believe that he could do what others could not. Cure cancer or make paraplegics work again: these, alas, were presumed later accomplishments--at least in his mind. "His was a life lived with great expectations and many successes. But a series of poor decisions, entangled with ego, and a peculiar perception of persecution tragically led him astray. He operated beyond the boundaries, challenging surgical limits and, in so doing, a career rose and fell." Well researched, clearly (if densely) written, this book should be required reading for surgeons and will interest historians of medicine. It defines hubris in the field of medicine. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Graduate students through professionals. I. Richman emeritus, Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg Campus