A Special Kind of War
Wars are fought for a variety of reasons. The products of battle are never glorious and invariably involve suffering for a cause, or simply because soldiers are ordered into battle. This classic book shows the results of a war incited by delusion and maintained by hate. Far different from projectile wars, these wars are intended to maim and destroy by means that are beyond any civilized concept of combat. The ingenious measures taken in the operating rooms cannot be taught in lecture halls but must be experienced and perfected by trial and error in the face of life threatining injuries and must be planned so that the young victims of madness may have a hope of survival, even with limbs or organs missing. The only thing lacking is the metallic taint of blood or sweet smell of brain dashed from it's cradle..
This premier account does not gild any lillies or announce the freedom and liberty of Iraqis. Read it, or at least look at it to see how "modern" wars work.
Outstanding work
The Authors and Editors of this book have really put together an outstanding piece of work that should not only be extremely useful to military and civilian trauma surgeons but will also stand alone as a document to the incredible work being done in the current conflicts. (Disclaimer: - although I am not a listed contributor, I did help take care of some of the patients listed in the book)
This is a great resource for surgeons (especially if it has been a while since they were immersed in trauma) to look over on the 14+ hour flight to Kuwait. While it cannot cover every single injury that may be faced downrange, it will certainly cover the majority of situations and definitely get the trauma mindset in gear. Other great reads on that flight include Top Knife: Art and Craft in Trauma Surgeryand Operative Trauma Management.
There was some minor controversy regarding the publishing of this book (mostly due to the photographs and some descriptions of the mechanism of the injuries) but I am glad the Army Surgeon General supported this book and that it is available. Time will only tell what long term medical and surgical advances will come from this war, but this book is an excellent start.
Written by Trauma Surgeons for Trauma Surgeons
This book was produced by the Borden Institute which writes the Textbooks of Military Medicine for the Army Medical Department (AMEDD). It is a series of case studies from surgeons deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq.
Each case presented begins with a narrative that describes how the wounded patient arrived and the care they received followed by teaching points from the surgeons who cared for the patients and then a section that describes best practices for surgeons who encounter similar situations including contemporary damage control techniques.
The foreward is written by Bob Woodruff who was critically injured in Iraq and who was evacuated to a military hospital in Iraq where he received life saving neurosurgery. In addition to describing his care he pointedly states, "it is our dream that the attention to the wounded remains as focused in the long journey to heal as it is in those white-hot moments in the surgical theater when nothing is spared to save a life."
The book is beautifully illustrated with over 450 color photographs. The pictures accompany the cases described and are dramatic but will be disturbing to some. Often, the pictures show the initial injuries and in some cases "after" pictures show the patients when they have recovered from their wounds. These photos were taken by the surgeons themselves at various stages of the patient's care.
Beyond its obvious usefulness in preparing surgeons for combat, the book also uniquley demonstrates what war surgery is, and the great work that medical personnel of the United States Armed Forces perform. It is in many ways the story of their war.
