Review: Operating Room Confidential: What Really Goes on When You Go Under

Author: Paul Whang, MD
Genre: Non-Fiction/Medical (2010)
About: The inside scoop of the operating room and hospital.

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Written by an anesthetist, the book covers absolutely everything you wanted to know about what goes on in the operating room and during specific operations. There's also a chapter called "Outside the O.R." where he writes about the autopsy room, the morgue, pathology, the cafeteria and administration. There is an entire chapter on anesthesia, which was very interesting. Did you know the chances of having post-operative nausea increase more with these surgeries: plastic, eye, shoulder, gynecological and dental? And that you have a higher risk of nausea and vomiting if you're female, have experienced previous nausea and vomiting after surgery, are having a surgery lasting longer than 30 minutes, are a non-smoker, and have a history of motion sickness? I'm in the 'all of the above' category, unfortunately.

One of my favorite chapters, called Off-Label Truths About Doctors, noted the characteristics of specific medical professions. For example, urologists are a content and happy group with the lowest divorce rate of the specialties, are open minded and like to travel. Psychiatrists are thoughtful, over-analyze faults in their own lives, and have the highest divorce rate. Orthopedic surgeons have the most sex per week. General surgeons are close-minded and judgmental.

Oh yeah, and you can find out all the scoop about sex in the operating room, what doctors talk about while operating, people who wake up during an operation, pain, missing sponges, reactions to anesthesia.  It's all there.

Source:  Library

Why I Chose:  I love medical-related books.

Recommend?  Yes, especially if you are a medical junkie or will be having surgery and want to be informed.

Rating:  4/5