"Opening the Cranium" Author: [US] Jay Wellens Publisher: Shanghai Joint Publishing Company

The life and death scene of pediatric brain surgery is full of horror and glory of the "forbidden zone" of life

Recommended by neurologists and pediatricians, and a New Yorker Best Stories of the Year

* Introduction

The world of neurosurgery is the skull, sulci, gray and white matter, frontal and temporal lobes and spinal cord; it is stroke, brain herniation, effusion, gunshot wounds, glioma, arteriovenous malformation; it is microscopic scissors, bipolar, dissector, suction device, hand saw, electric drill, bone cement; it is "the moment the dura mater is opened, thick fluid gushes out"... it is the difficulties and risks of various brain surgeries: there is no obvious boundary between brain areas and lesions, and all kinds of methods must be used to ensure that the resection is just right; it is steady and trembling carving at a microscopic scale for several hours in a row; the heart can be replaced, but the brain cannot; in pursuit of a better prognosis, the fetus must undergo spinal cord surgery by cesarean section; it is a race against time to prevent the patient from paralysis or even death, and sometimes the patient has to be transported to another hospital by Black Hawk helicopter; even so, the success rate is not always high.

Which child does not touch the heartstrings of his parents? A lively little girl may be watching a movie and eating popcorn with her family one minute, and suddenly faint from a brain disease the next minute, leaving her parents terrified; a father who watches his son's motorcycle race would never have thought of what he would encounter... Pediatric surgery is particularly difficult: children's organs are tiny and underdeveloped; but children have stronger resilience and often learn things that benefit their lives from life-and-death situations in their early years.

This book is an autobiographical writing by a pediatric neurosurgeon. He inherited the aggressiveness and composure of his father, a fighter pilot. He has been practicing for more than 20 years, growing from a rookie to a top backbone. He has also been moved by various life and death joys and sorrows. When he received the wedding invitation of a patient 15 years ago, he felt that everything was worth it. However, he also had a neuroma in his leg, and even his legendary father passed away early due to ALS. Through this book, the author shares important surgical cases in his career, reveals the doctor's feelings and emotions, and uses delicate touches and insights to show the surgeon's perseverance and courage, as well as the rare tenderness of this group.

About the Author