"Blade Life: Opening the Heart of a Cardiac Surgeon" Author: [UK] Stephen Westaby Publisher: Guangxi Normal University Press

Introduction
A candid doctor's autobiography reveals the tribulations and tribulations of a high-profile career
A series of medical expeditions contain the grandeur and magic of modern surgery, as well as the joys and sorrows of the world.
◎ Introduction
Cardiac surgeons have the mysterious power to open the chest, replace blood, and bring the dead back to life, but they are also living people who experience the same core emotions that everyone has - most of the time.
A freak sports accident transformed Westaby into one of the world's leading cardiac surgeons. "I went from a wilted violet to a free-spirited, daring bastard. I became immune to stress, a habitual risk-taker, always craving excitement, attracting high-risk cases like a magnet, and reveling in the race against death."
On another cold winter day, the rescue and birth of the child "helped me change my view of life and made me a better surgeon - I became a much better person than before, and I understood again that love can bring joy and happiness."
Through Westaby's inner confession and self-reflection, readers will see the adventures of life, the joys and sorrows of love, and the whole gripping story of modern cardiac surgery - "They are gradually unfolding in my life, and I am proud to be able to participate in them."
◎Highlights of the Work
★ Behind the professional halo is a vibrant individual.
In the eyes of outsiders, cardiac surgeons are mysterious and powerful figures. They fight for the control of life with the god of death. They are strict "big bosses" who do not tolerate mistakes by their colleagues. They walk sideways in the hospital for their whole lives. But in fact, he was also introverted and timid. He also pitted his teammates because of his careless operation. He would feel heartbroken because of the failure to rescue young children and old friends. He would also reluctantly abandon his daughter who was celebrating her birthday and his wife who was giving birth for the sake of emergency rescue. He would even be nervous when he received a small endoscope treatment. He also has joys, sorrows, anger, and happiness, pride and regret, strengths and weaknesses like ordinary people... He has the determination to stand up in times of crisis and take on the responsibility. History is created by such people.
★ A picture of the golden age of medical progress.
Since the emergence of open-heart surgery in the 1950s, cardiac surgery has experienced rapid development: extracorporeal circulation, artificial assist devices, and various difficult surgical procedures have emerged one after another, and behind this are many medical geniuses. The author entered medical school in the 1960s. During his study and practice, he studied under outstanding predecessors such as Bentol and Ross (all of whom had surgical procedures named after themselves), and was also taught by Cokerlin, the first person to successfully apply extracorporeal circulation, and Cooley, the first person to transplant an artificial heart. The author himself also promoted the improvement of extracorporeal circulation anti-infection technology, used Ross's valve procedure for infants for the first time, used adult heart assist devices to help children recover, and developed silicone rubber trachea, making pioneering contributions to cardiothoracic surgery. Through this book, readers can see how medical staff used their talents, courage, and noble sentiments to treat diseases and save lives, and boldly delve into research in an era when they were still helpless against hepatitis C and HIV, creating a great situation for our well-being today.
★ More tragic, but more real.
Real cardiac surgery is bloody and painful. The chest cavity pierced by wooden stakes, the esophagus and myocardium adhered together by pus, the aortic dissection is like an angry eggplant, and the extracorporeal circulation is like "bleeding and slaughtering animals"... For the sake of the patient's life, doctors operate for more than ten hours continuously, or press their fists against the low-temperature heart holes and get frostbite; but even with such desperate efforts, when asked "How many of your patients died", they can only answer "More than most soldiers died."
◎ Celebrity recommendation
The story of the cardiac surgeon Westaby is still thrilling. "Blade Life" once again presents his professional tragedy and comedy through 12 keywords: family, sadness, risk, arrogance, perfection, jubilation, danger, pressure, hope, resilience, pain, and fear. Each episode is a medical adventure, which has left an indelible mark on his life and will surely leave ripples of empathy for readers. It can be said that this outspoken biography presents Westaby's soul of glory and suffering. ——Wang Yifang (Professor of the School of Medical Humanities, Peking University)
Westaby is a leading cardiac surgeon, and also a walking story collector. The treatment process of the cases in this book is so tortuous and thrilling that people will feel suffocated even if they just read it... As a fan of Churchill, Westaby also regards "We will never surrender" as his life creed, and he also saves dying patients with this creed again and again. Everyone has moments of despair. Perhaps the will to survive and the courage to never surrender in "Blade Life" can give you the strength to cheer up again. ——Li Qingchen (pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon, popular science writer, co-writer of "Two Hundred Years of Surgery").
It is a great trust for a patient to entrust his life to you and allow you to cut open his chest and heart. Cardiac surgeons often delay or even give up their own and their family's normal life in order to treat and operate on patients. This is also a reflection of professional ethics - Professor Westaby himself does this. Cardiac surgery is a dazzling pearl in the field of medicine. We who are in it will definitely follow the path pioneered by Professors Bentol, Kirklin, Ross, Westaby and others, work hard to explore, and strive to make continuous progress in technological innovation and warm treatment, so as to be worthy of the patients' trust in life. - Zhang Haibo (Chief Physician of Cardiac Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital)
Totally believable... the book conveys an unmistakable sense of reality. - Daily Mail
This memoir is so fascinating to read because of the author's unexpected admission of vulnerability. - The Times