The way of the blade.

I have an uncle who is a famous heart surgeon.

He might actually have been the first black in his field, certainly the first of Indian origins.

His work is valued so highly that he has not been allowed to retire. For years he would retire and have somebody twist his arm into doing a bypass or some such thing.
Today I  heard that he stopped his professional insurance to, once and for all, make it impossible for him to get any work handed to him.

The reason for his popularity is quite odd. He was a very competent surgeon but there was no shortage of those. Even before he started turning down work (trying to retire) he was always sending people back to the specialists who referred him saying that the patient didn't need the operation.

In a world where surgeons have their scalpels in quick draw holsters here was a man who only cut open a chest when all else had failed. Only when he knew there was no other way.

This is the reputation that made him such a highly sought after surgeon.

I met him last year at a function and asked him about this. I told him what the talk on the street was about him and how he was ruffling feathers amongst heart specialists in refusing to perform operations that they had recommended.

I wanted to get his take on the situation and I must add that I could never in my wildest dreams have anticipated his reply.

He said that open heart surgery was probably the most invasive operation that anybody has to endure. That the surgery was traumatic for a strong young person but those who are subjected to it are the weakest most vulnerable of humanity.

He went on to say that the treatment plan usually consisted of three elements.

The lifestyle changes in terms of better eating habits, giving up smoking etc.

The second element is the regime of space-age drugs that are prescribed to the patients.

The final element was the surgery that he was expected to perform.

From his perspective, he was sure that even if the patient followed two out of three the outcome would be the same.

So in effect somebody who gave up the unhealthy lifestyle that caused the situation. Somebody who took all the meds might be better off than somebody who in the weakest moment of their life had the life-threatening surgery that taxed their already failing systems.

His reluctance to cut was based on his disbelief in the three-part approach with the frail and weak.
Especially when the oldest of them would only be blessed with a mere few years of pain, even with the best outcome.

If only more surgeons took the time to be sure that the scalpel was the best and only course of action.

I have resisted the urge to write this as he was still practicing.

Today when I found out that he laid down the blade I realized that the statute of limitations was up and that I could tell this story in the hope that others may see the dangers that lie in the way of the blade..

M Parak. 2017.