Doug Clark had his first surgery in 1957 to patch a hole in his heart. He was five, and believed to be the first child to survive open-heart surgery at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children. In 1996 he had a "valve job" at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, replacing his diseased aortic and mitral valves with mechanical implants. In Heart to Heart Doug offers the insights he gained and the lessons he learned as a cardiac pioneer in order to help patients and their loved ones cope with their own pending open-heart surgery. Twice a patient, twice a bystander watching the clock while his father and brother underwent multiple bypass surgery, Doug has experienced happy endings and sad ones.

Applying his experiences as both patient and loved one, Doug combines wit with wisdom to take you where he's been, show you what to expect behind the scenes, what questions to ask, and how to survive hospital bureaucracy as well as the operating room. Here for the first time is heart surgery viewed from the perspective of the person on the table—and not the ones huddled around it.

About the Author:
An award-winning journalist and author, Doug Clark is one of the longest-surviving open-heart surgery patients in the world for both a congenital cardiac defect and acquired heart disease. Doug lives with his wife and teenage children near Ottawa, where he's a keen observer of the race to develop and implant a mechanical heart. Given his medical history and gene pool, he figures he's on the list to get one.

Title:	Heart to Heart An Insider's Guide for Heart Surgery Patients and Loved Ones
Edition:	2001
ISBN:	0-13-031473-0
Copyright:	©2000
Pages:	256
Book Type:	paper
Format:	7 x 9 1/4
Price:	$24.95
Subject(s):	Health