Walk on Water: Inside an Elite Pediatric Surgical Unit

Imagine opening a newborn baby's chest and holding his plum-sized heart in your hands, confident that you can repair it and give the child a healthy life. Meet Dr. Roger Mee, one of the world's top pediatric heart surgeons. Dr. Mee and his team at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio do just that, two or three times a day, five or six days a week. Author Michael Ruhlman spent a year as an embedded observer in this center of excellence, exploring an elite surgical specialty and the professionals who devote themselves to perfecting it. "Walk on Water: Inside an Elite Pediatric Surgical Unit" is the wonderful product of that year, and you won't find a more fascinating or inspiring story. Ruhlman gives us a satisfying mix of history, anatomy, biography, and personal interest. The unit specializes in the repair of congenital heart defects. Each chapter starts with a case or an individual, suffering from or exemplifying some condition. Then the author catalogues the development of treatment options for that condition. Finally, he returns to the clinical setting to finish the story. Ruhlman discusses medical politics and the story behind outcome statistics. What is the impact on a unit's statistics when that unit is a referral center for the sickest babies? How can a patient -- or a parent -- know the importance of the BEST care versus GOOD care? Thorny questions are raised. But this is first and foremost the story of New Zealand-born Dr. Mee and his team, and the huge demands they make on themselves every day for the sake of these babies who got an unlucky draw -- at least, unlucky until they come under Dr. Mee's care. "Walk on Water" is action-packed and sensitively written. If you are interested in medical non-fiction, you WILL be stunned by this book. It's a completely absorbing read and I highly recommend it. Linda Bulger, 2008

I found the book an exciting read and helpful even for me, a practicing pediatric intensivist. I can't wait to read it again and underline some thoughts. I can not emphasize enough how helpful this book is for someone interested in medicine and health care delivery in this country. If you ever wonder whether it is worthwhile for our society to compensate doctors so well (although I can guarantee that Dr. Mee is not even in the same ballpark as a Roger Clemens or a Jason Kidd when it comes to salary) and for healthcare to cost so much this book will give you a reality check. If you ever wonder why we need to keep the predatory lawyers in check so that surgeons like Dr. Mee can continue to practice their craft, this book will give you a reality check. Wake up America, we are not making cupcakes around here. We are delivering the best health care in the world!

This book by Michael Ruhlman detailing the day to day work at Cleveland Children's Hospital is one of the best medical narritives that I've read. On par with "The Healing Blade" or "When the Air Hits Your Brain". Michael does a masterful job of telling both the technical/medical side of the story as well as the deeply human side of the patients and families throughout the book.Given my background (EMT) and my wife's (CardioVascular ICU RN in Milwaukee) we both agree that the facts are correct and showed a balanced view of the topic. Many times books of this type show only "glowing successes" rather here reality is shown in that not everyone gets better like on TV and lives happily ever after.Lastly, I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Mee's Coordinator Deb Gilchrist at Ceveland Cinic shortly after finishing the book and she did bring up one point, the language was commented on by one reader and former patient as being too "rough". While I agree that the language is at times quite frank, the reality of the world is that these are real people and real life somtimes isn't neat and clean as we would like it to be. I don't see this as a reason to NOT read the book, however parents might want to be aware of this if children might be reading it.ALl in all and excellent work and definately 5 stars.

Michael Ruhlman digs deep into the very elite field of pediatric surgery, arguably the most difficult and challenging aspect of medicine. Centered around Dr. Roger Mee, one of the best pediatric surgeons in the world who has been lauded as a doctor who "can walk on water" and "has the hands of God", Ruhlman brings you an inside look into this very specialized and unknown field (for those who are fortunate enough). This book takes you seamlessly from beginning to end, touching on the doctors' lives, the physician assistants, the lives of the parents, the history of heart surgery, and an in depth description of the cardio physiology and surgical procedures. The pathology of some heart defects could easily get confusing, but Ruhlman does a great job describing the situation and breaking it down for the reader. The sheer detail of the surgical procedures described in this book is enough to amaze everyone. Anyone interested in how doctors save babies by performing open heart surgery on walnut sized deformed hearts using millimeter precision against the clock should read this book.

A real fan of Ruhlman's previous books, I knew that this would make for good reading. Squeemish at times for those of us not use to inside O.R. environments with all the procedures and organs being talked about, this rivets one to pediatric heart surgery.Fashioned around a premier surgeon at a leading hospital, the reader is taken on a whirlwind of living on the edge of technology and skill and emotions as heart defects are diagnosed during pregnancy while others found at birth and thereafter are the daily routine of this top notch surgical team which Ruhlman lived with and writes about.One is touched by the intensity of the whole enterprise, the stark reality of it all, day after day, year after year. The enormity of it all. Patching this, switching that, shunting here, stiching this together---all to keep young precious life.The history of the discipline and current happenings are reviewed, with its emphasis on comparative mortality stats for various surgical procedures. Scary to think one's future might well be determined by where one lives and where taken when heart defects occur.The precision and dedication of those who live in this arena is beyond most of our scopes to even begin to fathom, but this book seems to take one there in spirit and interest. The compassionate care looms ever large.Thoughtful, provocative and reflective view of speciality surgery at the leading edge and all the while on edge.