The Operated Heart at Autopsy

After 17 years of private practice as a cardiovascular surgeon, my partners qu- tionedtherationalityofmydecisiontoleavetheclinicalpracticebehindandbecome acardiovascular pathologist. Infact,theirdisbeliefofmyintentiontomakethe“leap of faith” was understandable. For a surgeon, the operating room is where the action is. It is as simple as that. And when a cardiac surgeon can hold in his hand a beating heart, now off-bypass and improved by an operation just completed, satisfaction is real and profound. However, life is complex. Throughout my surgical career, questions regarding the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease arose; curiosities of va- ous phenotypes of the disease piqued my interest. I became aware of the power of investigative techniques that might address these questions. I then began to realize that my career in the operating room left me little time to address them. I needed to study the disease full time in order to contribute to my understanding of it. Ironically, my ?rst autopsy as a pathology resident was on an individual with a past history of coronary artery bypass surgery. When it came to examining the heart, the dissection, as all pathologists know, was complex. However, I found it to be straightforward and enjoyable. But I subsequently learned that my fellow re- dents and mentors did not share my intrigue and comfort in de?ning the nuances of the operated heart.

From the reviews:

"This monograph, written by Stuart L. Houser, MD, is a valuable addition to the literature on cardiac pathology. … he describes the in detail the clinical history and pathologic findings in the heart of patients who had an autopsy following cardiac surgery in a series of 20 cases. … This book should be of great interest not only to any pathologist or trainee in pathology that has need for guidance in this specialized area but also to internists and cardiologists … ." (Harry L. Messmore and William H. Wehrmacher, Comprehensive Therapy, December, 2009)

"The Operated Heart at Autopsy aims to provide assistance to pathologists in the performance of autopsies of patients who have undergone surgical treatment of the heart. … this book largely delivers on its stated goal. Interns, experts, and all tiers of pathologists in between who are routinely confronted with autopsy for a patient with an operated heart could conceivably benefit from perusing The Operated Heart at Autopsy." (Syed A. Hoda and Kunal Karia, Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 302 (22), 2009)

“The author takes the reader through common and uncommon cardiac surgery procedures as well as inborn and acquired infant and adolescent cardiac diseases, pronouncing the significance and role of heart operations during autopsy in cases of suspected heart-related deaths and describing autopsy techniques step by step. … The references are plentiful, up-to-date and allow further gathering of information. … it should be included in the library of any pathology department and autopsy pathologist in charge of suspected fatalities related to cardiac surgery.” (Claas T. Buschmann, Forensic Science, Medicine, and Pathology, Vol. 6, 2010)