Rhythms of Broken Hearts

Description:

This book provides an overview of the history, manifestations, and treatment of heart disease and heart rhythm disorders. In addition, it covers the effects on the lives of patients, coping mechanisms, and relationships with doctors, family, religion, and death. The book uniquely intersects the fields of medicine, literature, science, and art. Chapters begin by familiarizing the reader with the historical aspects of manifestations and treatment – discussing both scientific and psychological aspects of the disease. Chapters also discuss the evolution of several treatment modalities. Every chapter of the book contains interesting and evocative patient stories and their treatment. Rhythms of Broken Hearts will be of interest to a wide spectrum of health care practitioners as well as to patients and related family members with interest in understanding their symptoms and disease entity. _____________________________________________________________________ In Rhythm of Broken Hearts, Dr. Gomes distills a multifaceted perspective with a unique story that knits history, physiology, emotion, and wisdom. Jonathan L. Halperin, M.D. If you ever have a broken heart -- romantic or medical -- you will be totally absorbed in this dazzling multicultural read.  Grace Schulman Dr. Gomes’s affinity and empathy for his patients and their stories narrated in this book, make universal the experiences of illness that we all must navigate at some point in our lives. Jeremy N. Ruskin, MD

Table of Contents:

1. Romanticizing the Heart

2. The Mysteries of the Age-Old Pulse

Part II. The Renaissance Period in Heart Rhythm Disorders

3. Demystifying the Heart

4. Understanding Heart Rhythm Disorders: The Birth of the ECG and Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology

Part III. Galloping Away in the Atrium

5. Living with a Galloping Heart

6. Radical Ideas: The Road to Conquering Supraventricular Tachycardia

7. Atrial Fibrillation: The Heart’s Tap Dance

8. The Sawtooth Rhythm: Atrial Flutter

Part IV. Abnormal Rhythms Arising from the Ventricles

9. The Elusive Ventricular Extra-Beat

10. A Catastrophic Event: Sudden Cardiac Death

11. Strange Occurrences in Life’s Channels

12. A Heartbreaking Calamity: Sudden Death in the Athlete

13. Conquering the Arrhythmic Substrate: The Scalpel and the Source

14. A Revolutionary Idea: The Implantable Defibrillator: A Lifesaver

15. To Freeze and Not to Fry

16. Of Scintillating Lights, Tunnels, and Astral Encounters

Part V. The Break Down

17. The Broken Heart

Part VI. The Slow Down

18. The Ubiquitous Faint

19. The Stuttering Maestro: The Sick Sinus

20. Of Disconnected Highways: Heart Blocks

Part VII. A Brand-New Rhythm: A Brand-New Heart

21. The Artificial Pacemaker: A Life-Giver

22. When All Is Said and Done: Waiting for a Heart Transplant

Part VIII. The Quest to Overcome Heart Attacks

23. Of Bypasses and Clot Busters

24. A Riveting New Era: The Birth of Interventional Cardiology

Part IX. Stories of Survival

25. A Family Affair

26. Cruising Through Complications of a Heart Attack

27. A Missed Diagnosis: A Lifetime of Endurance

28. Old Age: How Long Should We Hope to Live?

Part X. Heart Care

29. Some Heart Care Advice to Live By

Back Matter