Operating Room Confidential: What Really Goes On When You Go Under

by Paul Whang

Go behind the scenes of the OR in this “fact-filled, poignant, and funny” account by an anesthesiologist ( Booklist ) What really happens in the operating room of a hospital? Is real life just like ER , Grey’s Anatomy , or House ? Even patients who’ve spent time in the operating room don’t really know much about them ― thanks to the important work of anesthesiologists like Dr. Paul Whang. But here, he takes readers into the hospital and past the OR doors ― fully alert. Combining personal stories with staff experiences, he reveals hidden truths about what goes on during surgery and recounts both the humdrum and the quirky, strange, and bizarre occurrences that shape a regular hospital day. He answers questions such Operating Room Confidential is based on real people and actual incidents and takes the reader on a journey that unveils the way the hospital works in an accessible, conversational style, without intimidating medical jargon. Insightful and funny, this is a must-read for the curiosity seeker and anyone who has been or will be on the operating room table.

Genres: Nonfiction, Medical, Medicine, Memoir, Ebooks

208 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2010

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh Dr. Whang, I am sorry, but I didn’t like your book much. It seems to me that you could have used a good editor.

I feel that you used your book to air your grievances about patients, hospitals, and some doctors. Some patients are too fat, too demanding, too fearful, and maybe attorneys. The food in the cafeteria is too salty not healthy. The vending machines are sold out when you work the night shift. The staff and doctors’ lounges are crappy compared to the administrative offices. Some doctors do not receive enough training, are over confident, and don’ know when to ask for help. You did provide some useful information, but I wouldn’t really call it insider information.

Your book was not what I expected. There were really no stories of interesting cases where you provided the anesthesia. There were brief anecdotes but nothing offering real history or follow up.

It was a quick read that I got from the library.

[نور | NOUR · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Bloc opératoire : Secrets et confidences" par ''Paul Whang (anesthésiste)''
Je donne trois étoiles pour ce livre.
c'était une lecture amusante, j'avais bien découvert tant de choses que j'ai ignoré vu que chui dans le domaine médicale.
j'avoue que je n'ai pas encore eu l’occasion d'entrer au bloc, mais j'ai deja regardé qlq séries comme House et Urgence,
le fait de lire une telle chose, vous pousse à etre plus malin , et faire attention à tous ce que vous voyez au bloc, à l'hosto. ya une chose que j'ai honte d'ignorer: le travaille de l'anéstésiste j'croyais qu'il ne s'agit pas de grand-chose et c'est une FAUSSE idée c'est le moteur des intervention chirurgicales.
après avoir lu ce livre, je ne pense pas que la chirurgie me va bien comme future spécialité surtout avec cette peur que chui gauchère. mais elle me plait quand même car c'est active mais aussi épuisante j'ai attendu vraiment que l'écrivain mentionne que la majorité des chirurgiens sont alcoolique et droguiste comme j'en avais entendu parler mais il n'a pas parlé de ça, donc je déduis que ce n'est qu'une rumeur contre eux dans le secteur médical.
y'avait des trucs TROP bizarres et marrants lors et hors des interventions.
et j'oublie pas de parler de la douleur LA DOULEUR post_op ça me fait pensé aux nombres de gens qui ont subis de pénibles opérations, et aux cancéreux..
j'ai bien aimé ce livre. et c'est le genre de livre que j'veux trouver dans nos biblio...

[Molly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alternative title:
I really don't like most of the people I work with or the patients and I'll tell you why.

I learned a few things about what happens in the OR, but not much. I learned more about how much the author is exasperated by patients, other doctors and administrators. And if you are a radiologist? The author straight up thinks you are horrible and overpaid.

[Maria LeBerre · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book has some interesting info, but that was overshadowed by the author's really creepy and sexist vibe. There are numerous examples of oogling females, including co-workers. I can't believe no one suggested that crap might need to go. Ick.

[Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Bit Boring

I borrowed this book, thinking it would impart some tidbits about what goes on in the OR that was interesting or unusual or humorous. No such luck. What it is, is a step-by-step guide of what a child might want to know. The author writes down to his audience, as it reads like a child's primer.

[Greg Parrott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just wasn't what I was expecting... interesting perspective, but I was looking for more detail on what goes on during a surgery than what was given here.

[Petter Wolff · Rating 1 out of 5]

Amazingly boring. And this in a subject of great interest to me.

[Hen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting fast read, if not exactly a revelation about operating rooms.

[Ro · Rating 3 out of 5]

A brisk and enjoyable read -- very informative -- though not of the same caliber as Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential. It is too kind to follow in Bourdain's footsteps. That said, I would recommend this to anyone wanting to learn more about what goes on beyond the "red line" that separates everyone from the hospital O.R.. I would have found this reassuring prior to surgery and it gives me food for thought and useful questions to ask regarding pain management if I ever have to cross the red line as a patient.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short book, interesting. Well-written in a folksy sort of way. Written from the anesthesiologist’s point of view.

[kaye wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read filled with information presented in an easy to understand, somewhat humerous fashion. Recommended to anyone who has had, or will have, surgery. That means just about everybody.

[Winnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a operating room nurse for 30 year, I find everything mention about OR in the book is so real.
It is very informative for outsiders. It covers a lot of aspects besides the OR. It covers different aspects of the hospital, a rundown of specialists, some common surgeries, pre op preparation and post operative care and pain control, new technologies.
I like how everything is brought up in a light and humorous way to show that even OR can be a stressful place to work, the OR team do face it with good spirit.

[Sarahm · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t usually write a review but want to say how much I didn’t like this book. It could have been a useful tool for someone going into surgery but honestly after reading this not sure how anyone could trust anyone in the operating room. I don’t think it needs to be put on paper what they really think and say about the people they are trusted to take care of and I would never want this man anywhere close to me. Also the chapter on penis’ and the the things they said and did to female staff was absolutely disgusting and should be considered harassment and investigated. This could have been a cute and funny book but was anything but that. The only good thing I can say is was a very quick read and helped me reach my reading goal for the year. Glad it’s over so I can read something actually worth reading.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever had surgery? Even the minor kind? Dr. Whang is an anesthesiologist -- one of the first people you meet when you go into the hospital for your surgery. He explains what NOT to say and why those questions are asked over and over again.
Notice a difference between your specialists -- such as the cardiologist, the ob-gyn doc, the internist? Whang does a great chapter about personality types and quirks among the specialists. I enjoyed this, especially because Grey's Anatomy is one of my favorite t.v. shows, of various surgeons.
Different rooms in the hospital are described -- what happens in the basement? Who are the most glamorous people in the hospital? To top it off, it is obvious Whang does NOT like hospital administrators (hello, Cuddy on House).

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

An anesthesiologist talks about the secrets of the operating room, from pre-op to post-op.

Very enjoyable read. It was a bit choppy, jumping from vignettes, but the stories themselves were fascinating and a bit different than the other medical books I've read. It would have been nice if it were longer, however--there wasn't enough of it!

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book if you're a medical junkie :)

[Wendy Gray · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a stupid book

[Allyson Dyar · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only thing I didn't like about this book was the title. I was fully expecting some salacious stories of hospital personnel banging away on operating tables -- after all, the author's last name is Whang -g-. Instead, I found myself reading a thoughtful book on what anesthesiologists actually do: making sure that you are comfortable during an operation and wake up (as opposed to not waking up).

I really enjoyed this book because I hadn't read about anesthesiology except as an after-thought in some books. I loved being able to fully understand what they do and how important it really is.

It's an easy book to read (one that was hard to put down) -- well written and fascinating as well. Kudos to Dr Whang for such an enjoyable book. But how about ditching the title, eh?

I give this book 4.5 solid stars -- well worth a read!

[Alex Whang · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the author of this book wrote it over 10 years ago, I wasn’t able to fully appreciate how big of an accomplishment that was. Now, over a decade later, I decided to give this book a try and am very thankful I did.

Operating Room Confidential is a funny, informative, and thoughtful read about a world that I’ve been surrounded by my whole life (by proxy), but never took the time to truly understand or appreciate. I especially liked the authentic voice that the author (also known as my Dad) brought to the audience, and one that mimics the actual way he talks and acts - which I know by observation and over 26 years experience :)

4 stars because your family members also have to be your toughest critics, but overall a really great read.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not exactly what I was expecting but I did learn some interesting facts about the medical field and what exactly happens when being put under for surgery. I thought this would be a bit more humorous and while some pieces were, it was mostly educational and parts were a bit boring like during the chapter how to prepare for surgery I literally felt like I was reading a pamphlet from the hospital so not exactly entertaining but overall I’m pretty fascinated with the medical field so it was alright. If your not then I’d skip this one.

[Jb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book although it was first published in 2010. It is well structured, well written, humourous and full of good information related to the OR and the staff who work in these rooms. Many of the OR staff are not recognized for the very valuable contribution they make to society and this book shows what actually happens behind the scenes.
Highly recommended. Thanks to the author for publishing a book like this. Hopefully he writes another one...

[Trebor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this kind of book. I've had several of the operations mentioned. His clear and precise overview can clarify many questions and fears about surgical procedures. Honest and sometimes humorous he humanized doctors as regular people, good and not so good at what they do. Hospitals are like small towns with all different levels of functions. An enlightening read.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, but didn’t love it. I liked the structure of the book, including a Q&A at the end and it’s a very quick, easy read. However, as some other reviewers have noted, this is only the Author’s own opinions and there are some generalisations and complaints of his work/industry. Overall though, it was a quick and informative read, especially for those not working in the medical field.

[Tiffany Silverberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting!

My daughter has an upcoming surgery scheduled, so I thought it might be good to read up on anesthesia. I now know what questions to ask before she goes under, and feel better prepared to take care of her in recovery.

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was the wrong audience for this book - it's intended for the non-medical person, and would probably be good information for someone going in for a procedure. Still, some of his anecdotes were entertaining...

[Ouida M. Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, accurate, and informative book about current anesthesia practices.

This is an interesting and accurate description of what an anesthesiologist does and what a patient experiences when undergoing a surgical procedure.

[Sandra Burns · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I expected.

Was hoping for more stories. This, had a bunch of psychological breakdowns, on various specialties. What kind of personality chose that particular specialty, what they did on their off time, and other things.

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting, but too general. I wanted more specific details. Instead, this read like a Wikipedia entry and pre-op/post-op instructions given by the hospital. Also, Whang's arrogance shows through and his jokes and remarks about peers are often sexist, crass, and mean.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately this book was just boring. I was quite interested in the topic, but the author is not a writer, and regardless of his expertise in the operating room, his talent in front of the keyboard is lacking.

[Mohamed Hasan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book orients the public about the operating room in a clear and funny way. It is an important read for patients and their families before going to the OR. The context is Canadian which is universal health coverage. So, some stories might not be applicable in private insurance-based healthcare.