Reflections on Medicine and Life by Dr. S.P. Kalantri
Clinical stories and reflections on evidence-based medicine, research, and patient care.
Unbelievable, but true. Robert Liston, a Scottish surgeon (1784-1847) practised orthopaedic surgery all over Britain. He obtained specialisation in amputations, practising in an era when anaesthesia was in infancy. Cutting and sawing on a conscious, screaming patient took strong nerves and a strong stomach. The shorter the operation, Liston thought, the lesser the pain the … Read the essay
Atul Gawande, the surgeon-researcher-public health activist in his recent essay describes the current medical practice so succinctly : “Millions of people are receiving drugs that aren’t helping them, operations that aren’t going to make them better, and scans and tests that do nothing beneficial for them, and often cause harm.” Once a test or a … Read the essay
I am unable to pronounce the names of many new drugs. I tried hard and then gave up. Incurable diseases and unpronounceable drugs- the combination is deadly.
Marriages—so goes a popular aphorism-are made in heaven. Now researchers are discovering new ways where they can make them happen—in the acknowledgment section of a scientific paper!
Dr. Anita Borges at her best! I was glued to her hour-long talk—and could hardly take my eyes off her histopathology and IHC slides—as she explained in her inimitable style how pathology is rapidly evolving. For over 150 years, histopathology—focused on organs, tissues, and cells held sway in pathology. But over the last two decades, … Read the essay