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In his book, The Smile at the Heart of Things, Brian H. Peterson decided to write about his soul and how creativity takes hold of the life of an artist. Listen in to this personal, poignat, and somewhat humorous conversation accounting the ups and downs of his life. Click below: Brian H. Peterson featured on NPR's This I Believe

Meet Barbara Bonfigli, author of Café Tempest: Adventures on a Small Greek Island at the New York Times Travel Show - Greek National Tourism Booth - Friday-Sunday February 26th - 28th. Ms. Bonfigli will present her book, screen Greek travel tip videos, and introduce the Tempestini - the world’s first retsina cocktail. Click below for more info.

Brian Peterson, author of The Smile at the Heart of Things published by Tell Me Press featured in the December 30, 2009 edition of  USA Today. Click here to read the article.

Before the Scalpel:
What Everyone Should Know about Anesthesia
by Panchali Dhar, MD

January 2009
ISBN: 978-0-9816453-0-8
$24.95 US ($31.95 Canada)
224 pages
softcover
25 medical illustrations
123 black-and-white photos

 

Before you have surgery, read this book.

Learn about these real-life scenarios in this layman’s guide to anesthesia:

• childbirth
• infants & children
• cosmetic & plastic surgery
• possible complications from being overweight
• awareness during surgery
• dentistry & oral surgery
• pain management
…and much more…

What you’ll find inside this book

The decision has been made... you are going to have an operation or another medical procedure.

You have met with your surgeon and know what will happen during the operation. But do you know anything about the anesthesia? If you’re like most patients, your answer is “Probably not.” That’s why it’s time to meet the person at the helm of your operation: your anesthesiologist.

Before the Scalpel: What Everyone Should Know about Anesthesia demystifies the issues surrounding the types and uses of anesthesia and addresses common fears about wakefulness and pain. Author Panchali Dhar, MD, a board-certified anesthesiologist and internist, speaks in straightforward language and uses real-life examples to guide you through this corner of the medical maze. She shows you how to:

• Ask the most important questions of your anesthesiologist and surgeon.
• Understand how the anesthesia team is with you through every step of your surgery.
• Prepare for surgery the right way.
• Alleviate your concerns about being awake during surgery.
• Become familiar with the latest pain-control techniques.

Individual chapters focus on how anesthesia is used in specific circumstances: during plastic and cosmetic surgery, during labor, and for dental care. Other chapters explore the special needs of babies and children, address the ways surgeons and anesthesiologists are adapting their techniques in response to the growing obesity rates, and discuss how to avoid post-operative nausea and vomiting. Photographs and illustrations keep the conversation interesting and lively.

Throughout the book, Dr. Dhar carefully flags issues directly affecting your medical care. Each chapter ends with an invaluable checklist, called “prescriptives, ” that highlights key points and provides space to write in when you talk with your surgeon or anesthesiologist. The checklists help you ask questions relevant to your case and ensure that you receive—and remember—the answers.

meet the author

Panchali Dhar, MD

Panchali Dhar, MD, is assistant professor of clinical anesthesiology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Medical College of Cornell University. She is board-certified in internal medicine and anesthesiology.

Dr. Dhar obtained her medical degree from New York University Medical School, where she also completed residencies in internal medicine and anesthesiology. She has also trained and worked at New York health-care institutions including New York University Langone Medical Center, Bellevue Hospital, and the Manhattan Veteran Affairs Hospital. She lives in New York City.

praise

“Dr. Dhar’s book is so readable, concise, and informative that it should be assigned reading by surgeons and physicians to their patients who are preparing for surgery or procedures requiring sedation. Before the Scalpel reaches a difficult balance by being substantive enough to provide a review for the medical professional while being easily comprehensible to the layperson. Very timely publication; it fills that . . . gap in every patient’s operative preparation.”

—Robert M. Rey, MD, MPP, featured on E! Entertainment’s hit series Dr. 90210

“The book is beautifully written in a simple yet elegant style, presenting extremely difficult concepts in an easy-to-understand format. . . . Every sentence, every concept is crisp and concise and valuable to anyone who plans an operating room experience. . . . All surgeons should make this book available to their patients to read.”

—Ira H. Kirschenbaum, MD, founding executive director of Medscape Orthopaedics, now part of the WebMD family

“In an age of information overload, anesthesia—the ‘art of comfort’—remains the dark continent of medicine for most patients. We put ourselves in the presiding doctor’s hands blindly, trusting that our pain and awareness will be dulled in exchange for giving ourselves over to the needle, the gas mask, the IV full of narcotics and sedatives. Before the Scalpel does an admirable job of closing this gap, presenting the whys and wherefores of anesthesia in a crisp and lucid style. Panchali Dhar has thought of all the possible questions and fears that patients might have concerning this crucial but mostly unexplained procedure and addresses them one by one. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to be better informed about his or her medical care.”

—Daphne Merkin, novelist, critic, and contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine

“A must-read for all of us who fear undergoing anesthesia. Dr. Dhar provides reassurance with her detailed but easily understandable explanations of the anesthesia process before, during, and after surgery. By imparting her knowledge and sage advice, she helps patients become enlightened and empowered to help themselves in a situation that often requires relinquishing control of consciousness. . . . Kudos to Dr. Dhar for making the complicated world of anesthesia so comprehensible!”

—Lisa G. Newman, MD, assistant professor of medicine, NYU School of Medicine

“Dr. Panchali Dhar sends a clear message essential to the most important tenet we all seek: patient safety through education, which leads to knowledge, which leads to empowerment.”

—Carol Weihrer, The Anesthesia Awareness Campaign

“In Before the Scalpel, [Panchali Dhar] has given us the right information, at the right time, and presented the right way. Perfect! All my patients, family, and friends having surgeries will be getting a copy!”

—Rodney Dunetz, MS, AP, DOM, acupuncture physician and doctor of oriental medicine, Boca Raton, FL

“Before the Scalpel is an impressively thorough, informative, educational, concise, and demystifying reference guide for the emotionally unprepared surgical patient, in addition to any and all health care professionals involved with the surgical process.”

—Thomas Bolte, MD, medical director of Bolte Medical, New York City

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