An important figure in mid-Twentieth Century medicine and cardiology, brilliant, dynamic George Burch was outstanding on every front — pioneering researcher in multiple aspects of the body’s workings, an inspiring educator, editor and prolific writer, and electrifying lecturer. His patients loved him for his gentleness, common sense approach and tireless advocacy on their behalf. Immersed in medicine from childhood as he assisted his father, a physician in rural Louisiana, he was influential worldwide by a surprisingly young age. Possessed of a healthy sense of humor, he was nevertheless deeply serious of purpose. He was an independent thinker, outspoken and unfazed by mainstream opinion. Increasingly controversial, he became a hero to some, but to others an outdated fossil. The life story of this remarkable man resonates vividly in today’s environment of confusion and inordinate expense in medical care.

When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005, many personal and historical documents were destroyed throughout the city. As the Tulane faculty and staff became accustomed to post-Katrina life, they realized that no official record of the Department of Surgery had ever been published. After years of work, many people have assembled the rich history of the Department of Surgery. Starting with firsthand accounts of Katrina and then traveling through a chronological history of the department, the book explores both triumphs and tribulations. From surgeons dueling outside Charity Hospital, to the devastation of Katrina, to the pioneering advancements of Matas and Ochsner, the tale of the Tulane Department of Surgery captures one side of the immense history of New Orleans.

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