Simon Pearson has worked on The Times since 1986. His interest in military history was stimulated by his father who served with the RAF in World War Two. He is the author of the bestselling The Great Escaper, published in 2013 and described by the Sunday Times as 鈥榚nthralling, an astounding story of honour and resilience鈥�.
a playlist compiled from all the music, soundtracks, and musicians mentioned in the book Classical Music:
1. "Moonlight" Sonata (Ludwig van Beethoven): Played by Magdi's mother, Madeleine.
2. Don Giovanni (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart): Yacoub enjoyed listening to this opera's extracts at the Cairo medical school.
3. Double Violin Concerto in D minor (Johann Sebastian Bach): David and Igor Oistrakh performed at a concert Yacoub attended with Marianne.
4. Requiem (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart): Requested by Lars Ljungberg to be played at his funeral. Yacoub also believes it was played at the service.
5. Fantasia in D Minor (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart): Yacoub's chosen piece for Desert Island Discs. Played in the episode by Emil Gilels.
6. "Song for Athene" (John Tavener): Performed at Princess Diana's funeral. Tavener later wrote a piece for Marianne Yacoub's funeral based on a poem by Henry Vaughan.
7. "The Four Seasons" (Vivaldi): Played during an operation witnessed by Princess Diana.
Popular Music:
1. "Michelle" (The Beatles): One of Yacoub's favorite Beatles songs.
2. "Oklahoma!" (Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II): From the musical - Magdi and Jimmy saw the show after Magdi's exams in Edinburgh.
3. "Bring Me Sunshine" (Sylvia Dee and Arthur Kent): Eric Morecambe's signature song, which became an anthem of hope for Harefield Hospital.
4. "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" (Eric Idle): Sung by the anesthetists at Harefield Hospital. Featured in the Monty Python film Life of Brian.
5. "No Woman, No Cry" (Bob Marley): One of Yacoub's chosen pieces on Desert Island Discs.
6. "Hallelujah Chorus" (George Frideric Handel): Played by the Harefield team when Yacoub arrived late for operations.
and For medical enthusiast readers, the surgeries mentioned in the book, along with their names, roles, and a simple explanations:
- Arterial Switch Operation: Corrects Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA) in babies. Reverses the positions of the aorta and pulmonary artery, ensuring oxygen-poor blood goes to the lungs and oxygen-rich blood goes to the body.
- Atrial Switch Operation: Treats TGA in babies by creating channels inside and outside the heart to redirect blood flow. Reroutes blood within the heart so oxygen-poor blood goes to the lungs and oxygen-rich blood goes to the body, *without* correcting the position of the great arteries themselves.
- Heart Transplant: Replaces a diseased or failing heart with a healthy one from a donor. The patient's damaged heart is removed and replaced with a healthy heart from a deceased donor.
- Heart-Lung Transplant: Replaces both the heart and lungs of a patient with a healthy heart and lungs from a donor. This is done when both organs are severely diseased.
- Domino Transplant: A sequence of operations where a patient needing a heart-lung transplant donates their healthy heart to another patient who needs only a heart transplant. This maximizes the use of donor organs.
- Living-Lobe Lung Transplant: Replaces diseased lungs, often in patients with cystic fibrosis, using lung lobes from living donors (often family members). Healthy lobes are transplanted into the patient to replace the diseased lung tissue.
- Piggyback Heart Transplant (Heterotopic): Adds a second, donor heart to support the function of a patient's failing heart *without* removing the original heart. The donor's heart is attached to assist with pumping blood. This was more common before advanced anti-rejection medications.
- Pulmonary Valvotomy: Relieves blockages in the pulmonary valve (between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery). Widens a narrowed pulmonary valve to improve blood flow from the heart to the lungs.
- Mitral Valvotomy: Treats narrowing (stenosis) of the mitral valve. Widens a narrowed mitral valve to improve blood flow within the heart.
- Aortic Valve Replacement: Replaces a diseased or damaged aortic valve with an artificial or biological valve (from human, pig, or cow). The damaged valve is removed and replaced to ensure proper blood flow from the heart to the body.
- Ross Procedure: Replaces a diseased aortic valve with the patient's *own* pulmonary valve. A donor valve is then used to replace the pulmonary valve. This is often preferred for younger
- Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG): Improves blood flow to the heart by creating new routes around blocked or narrowed coronary arteries. Uses blood vessels taken from another part of the patient's body (e.g., leg or chest) to bypass the blockages.
- Truncus Arteriosus Repair: Corrects a congenital defect where only one large blood vessel leaves the heart instead of two. Creates a separation between the outflow tracts, resulting in two distinct arteries: one to the lungs and one to the body.
- Modified Mustard Procedure: A type of surgery used to treat transposition of the great arteries. Reroutes blood flow within the heart to correct for the reversed position of the great arteries.
- Aortic Root and Valve Remodeling: Repairs a faulty aortic root and valve. Reshapes and strengthens the aortic root (the part of the aorta closest to the heart) and the aortic valve to improve their function.
Also
The book highlights several myths and misconceptions that the public held, particularly regarding heart transplantation and the work of Professor Magdi Yacoub. Here are some of them, along with the corrections provided by doctors and science:
1. Definition of Death and Organ Donation:
Myth: The Panorama program in 1980 suggested that organs were being removed from patients who were not truly dead, implying that doctors were hastening death to harvest organs.
Correction: Doctors and medical authorities, including the royal medical colleges, emphasized that there were strict criteria for determining brain death, which was equated with clinical death. Yacoub and his team adhered to these criteria and ensured that organ donation was performed ethically and with the consent of the donor's family.
2. Risks and Benefits of Heart Transplantation:
Myth: Some people believed that heart transplantation was too experimental, had low success rates, and was not worth the risks involved. There was also a misconception that it was a "miracle cure."
Correction: Yacoub and his colleagues demonstrated that heart transplantation, while a complex procedure, could significantly improve the quality of life and extend the lifespan of patients with end-stage heart failure. They emphasized that it was not a cure but a treatment that required ongoing medical management. The success rates of heart transplantation improved dramatically over time, thanks to advances in surgical techniques, immunosuppression, and patient care.
3. Allocation of Resources:
Myth: Critics argued that heart transplantation was too expensive and diverted resources away from other areas of healthcare, particularly for a procedure that benefited relatively few people.
Correction: Yacoub and his supporters argued that heart transplantation was a cost-effective treatment for end-stage heart failure and that it was essential to develop this life-saving procedure. They also pointed out that advancements in transplantation could benefit other areas of medicine.
4. Suitability of Harefield Hospital:
Myth: Some believed that a "village hospital" like Harefield was not an appropriate setting for complex procedures like heart transplantation and that such operations should only be performed at major teaching hospitals.
Correction: Yacoub and his team demonstrated that Harefield had the expertise, dedication, and infrastructure to perform heart transplants successfully. They argued that their smaller size and focused approach allowed for greater flexibility and innovation.
5. Yacoub's Motivations:
Myth: Some critics accused Yacoub of being driven by a desire for fame, publicity, or personal gain, particularly after he operated on high-profile patients like Eric Morecambe and Princess Diana's involvement.
Correction: Those who knew Yacoub well, including colleagues, patients, and friends, emphasized his deep compassion, his commitment to his patients, and his dedication to advancing medical science. They pointed out that he often worked long hours for little or no financial reward and that he was motivated by a genuine desire to help people.
6. The "Mad Surgeon" Narrative:
Myth: Yacoub was sometimes portrayed in the media as a "maverick" or "mad" surgeon who took unnecessary risks and defied established medical norms.
Correction: Yacoub's colleagues and supporters argued that he was a highly skilled and meticulous surgeon who carefully weighed the risks and benefits of each procedure. They emphasized that he was a pioneer who pushed the boundaries of what was possible in cardiac surgery, but always with the patient's best interests at heart.
7. The Role of Publicity:
Myth: Some people criticized Yacoub and Harefield Hospital for seeking publicity and using the media to promote their work.
Correction: Yacoub and his team argued that raising public awareness about heart transplantation was essential for increasing organ donation rates and securing funding for research. They also believed that sharing their successes could inspire hope and encourage other medical centers to develop transplant programs.
8. Ethical Concerns about Transplants in Babies:
Myth: Critics questioned the ethics of performing heart transplants on very young infants, such as in the Hollie Roffey case, arguing that it was experimental and potentially prolonged suffering without a realistic chance of long-term survival.
Correction: Yacoub defended the decision to operate on Hollie, arguing that it was her only chance of survival and that the potential benefits outweighed the risks. He emphasized the importance of learning from each case, even those with unfavorable outcomes, to improve future treatments.
9. The Use of Animal Organs:
Myth: The use of a baboon's kidney to temporarily support Scott Molloy sparked controversy, with some people questioning the ethics of using animals in this way.
Correction: Yacoub explained that this was an emergency measure taken to save the boy's life when no other options were available. He emphasized that the decision was made with careful consideration and in the best interests of the patient.
10. The Growth of Transplanted Hearts:
Myth: Christiaan Barnard initially claimed that a transplanted heart would not grow in a child, suggesting this as a reason not to perform transplants in children.
Correction: Yacoub and his team demonstrated that transplanted hearts could grow in infant bodies and that this was not a barrier to successful pediatric transplantation.
11. The Nature of Scientific Progress:
Myth: Some people believed that medical advancements should only occur through slow, incremental steps and that radical new procedures were too risky.
Correction: Yacoub argued that breaking new ground and pushing the boundaries of what was considered possible was essential for advancing medical science and improving patient care. He believed that taking calculated risks, based on sound scientific principles and careful planning, was necessary to achieve breakthroughs.
12. The Importance of Basic Science:
Myth: Some in the medical community did not fully appreciate the value of basic science research or see its direct relevance to clinical practice.
Correction: Yacoub was a strong advocate for basic science and believed that understanding the fundamental mechanisms of disease was essential for developing new and more effective treatments. He established a research center at Harefield to bridge the gap between basic science and clinical practice.
13. The Role of Emotion in Medicine:
Myth: Some believed that doctors should remain emotionally detached from their patients and that expressing emotions was unprofessional.
Correction: Yacoub demonstrated that compassion and empathy were essential qualities for a doctor and that forming close relationships with patients and their families could be beneficial for both the patient and the doctor. He was known for his warmth, his ability to connect with people, and his willingness to go the extra mile for his patients.
14. The Idea of a "Perfect" Healthcare System:
Myth: There was a belief that a healthcare system could be designed and implemented flawlessly, with perfect efficiency and resource allocation.
Correction: Yacoub, through his experiences at Harefield and his advocacy for the NHS, recognized that healthcare systems are complex and constantly evolving. He believed in striving for improvement but acknowledged that there would always be challenges and that a pragmatic, flexible approach was necessary.
These are just some of the myths and misconceptions that Yacoub and his colleagues challenged throughout his career. By pushing the boundaries of what was considered possible, advocating for his patients, and embracing innovation, Yacoub helped to transform the field of cardiac surgery and improve the lives of countless people around the world. He also challenged conventional wisdom and demonstrated the importance of compassion, dedication, and a willingness to take calculated risks in the pursuit of medical progress.
I grew up in Egypt, where Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub was and still is idolized for his international contributions to delivering equitable health care, and cardiac surgery. Reading the biography of Sir Magdi gives us a great opportunity to closely follow his journey from being a quiet student who sat at the end of the classroom, who never talked unless spoken to, and who was considered mentally retarded by his teachers during his early years at school, to becoming top of his class and attending the School of Medicine at Cairo University and graduating with distinction. We also discover how his road to success was not all roses and rainbows. Instead, it was full of challenges and difficulties. And after leading a great life spanning the whole world, he found himself great writers who took it upon themselves to give us panoramic view of the great life he has led.
I cannot recommend this book more, it is a must-read.
An outstanding biography on the pioneering work of Sir. Magdi Yacoub. This book covers more than just his clinical work. This man contributed and pioneered in so many areas of patient care that the world has not seen anday not see someone do so much selflessly ever again.
The story of an amazing career in surgery, science and philanthropy. It felt a little like a very long magazine article - neither a personal memoir nor an objective biography but a 鈥渕y story as told to x鈥� affair.