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From Trenches To Transplants: Changing Lives with Plastic Surgery
“Fascinating—a terrific read combining meticulous historical research with compelling personal stories.”
– Kelly Parsons, MD , author of Doing Harm and Under the Knife. The story of modern plastic surgery began in the trenches of World War I. Innovative surgeons invented life-altering methods to restore the victims of rifles and grenades, and soon founded a new specialty known as plastic surgery. With every decade their ingenuity devised new innovations that pushed the entire field of medicine forward. From kidney transplants to breast implants to facelifts to finger reattachments, this is the story of the birth, growth and amazing triumphs of the past century of plastic surgery.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
R. Barrett Noone, MD , is a former U.S. Air Force surgeon, past president of the American Association of Plastic Surgeons and the first Executive Director/CEO of The American Board of Plastic Surgery. During his half-century of learning, teaching, and practicing plastic surgery atthe University of Pennsylvania and its affiliate hospitals, he became a pioneer in the development of the concepts and techniques of breast reconstruction at the time of mastectomy. He lives with his wife, Barbara, in suburban Philadelphia. “Dr. Noone traces the evolution of the surgical correction of deformity, insightfully emphasizing not an imperfection’s size, but rather its meaning to the patient.”
– Mark B. Constantian, MD , plastic surgeon and author of Childhood Abuse, Body Shame, and Addictive Plastic Surgery: The Face of Trauma. “Through the telling of inspiring patient stories, Dr. Noone demonstrates how creativity and innovation have shaped plastic surgery and restored peoples’ lives.”
– Richard Redett, MD , Professor and Chair, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
– Kelly Parsons, MD , author of Doing Harm and Under the Knife. The story of modern plastic surgery began in the trenches of World War I. Innovative surgeons invented life-altering methods to restore the victims of rifles and grenades, and soon founded a new specialty known as plastic surgery. With every decade their ingenuity devised new innovations that pushed the entire field of medicine forward. From kidney transplants to breast implants to facelifts to finger reattachments, this is the story of the birth, growth and amazing triumphs of the past century of plastic surgery.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
R. Barrett Noone, MD , is a former U.S. Air Force surgeon, past president of the American Association of Plastic Surgeons and the first Executive Director/CEO of The American Board of Plastic Surgery. During his half-century of learning, teaching, and practicing plastic surgery atthe University of Pennsylvania and its affiliate hospitals, he became a pioneer in the development of the concepts and techniques of breast reconstruction at the time of mastectomy. He lives with his wife, Barbara, in suburban Philadelphia. “Dr. Noone traces the evolution of the surgical correction of deformity, insightfully emphasizing not an imperfection’s size, but rather its meaning to the patient.”
– Mark B. Constantian, MD , plastic surgeon and author of Childhood Abuse, Body Shame, and Addictive Plastic Surgery: The Face of Trauma. “Through the telling of inspiring patient stories, Dr. Noone demonstrates how creativity and innovation have shaped plastic surgery and restored peoples’ lives.”
– Richard Redett, MD , Professor and Chair, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
Paperback
Published October 11, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 31, 2023
FROM TRENCHES TO TRANSPLANTS by Dr. Barry Noone, retired Professor Emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania is a fascinating account of his life as a leader in the field of Plastic Surgery. Part memoir, part social and medical history, FROM TRENCHES is written for both lay people and medical professionals. The focus on the creative and skilled surgeons who developed, and continue to develop, innovative ways to repair the mistakes and accidental damage to the human body giving his patients a better life, is accompanied by numerous but expertly detailed examples from Dr. Noone’s long practice as well as by facts from his careful research. From his earliest work with the wounded in Vietnam to his subsequent concentration on facial reconstructions, breast reductions, enlargements, and ground-breaking reconstructions after mastectomy, he expresses always his deep concerns for the well-being of his patients. Over his long career, he has helped those needing reattachments, various removals or enlargements, and even “gender-affirming” surgeries in trans patients. He provides honest insights into the specialty called plastic surgery and exposes some of the lax practices that have challenged the field through the years. This book makes the discipline of Plastic Surgery come to life. It is a book perfect for the times we live in, and I see it as a “must-read” for anyone who is interested in this timely topic. This is one book that belongs on all library shelves.
January 31, 2023
I had the opportunity to read From Trenches to Transplants: Changing Lives with Plastic Surgery by R. Barrett Noone, M.D. before it was published. As a person without any medical training and only the most basic knowledge of plastic surgery, I was pleasantly surprised to easily enjoy this fascinating combination of history and personal experience. Through a 50+ year career, the author has much to share, and he does so with authority, as well as compassion for the patients whose stories he tells. Reading this work of narrative nonfiction has brought to mind all those I personally know whose lives have been improved through plastic surgery, and I can say I more deeply understand not only the surgical techniques in such procedures, but also the very human emotional and psychological facets involved in such work. I recommend this most interesting book, complete with photographs and other illustrations, to those with a desire to broaden their knowledge and understanding. As the author writes in his letter to the reader: “Read, learn, and enjoy.”
March 2, 2023
Although described as a history of plastic surgery in America, I found From Trenches to Transplants to be a masterful work of storytelling. Dr. Noone weaves the history of his profession with the often-emotional stories of patients who came to him for help. On a technical level, the reader learns in lay terms about the development of procedures that have changed not only plastic surgery, but medicine overall. On a personal level, patient stories come alive as each unique situation calls for a compassionate approach to patient care. I highly recommend this book for any educated lay reader who is interested in history, medicine, social change, and self-awareness.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews