Courses Don’t Make Experts, Practice Does
There is a quiet but persistent myth in modern professional life: attend a course, receive a certificate, and emerge somehow transformed into a competent practitioner. … Read more
ReadThe blog
Notes from both theatres.
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Trauma education, medical school guidance, and reflections from twenty-five years at the sharp end — written the way he teaches: plainly, and from experience.
Groin Hernias: When Anatomy, Gravity, and Bad Luck Collide
The groin: small region, big problems Few areas of the body punch above their weight like the groin. It’s a crossroad of vessels, nerves, muscles, and … Read more
ReadAnterior Abdominal Wall Hernias: When the Gut Decides to Step Outside
The great escape… The abdominal wall is a masterpiece of engineering, layers of muscle, fascia, and peritoneum that hold back the constant pressure of life: … Read more
ReadLarge Bowel Obstruction: When the Colon Says “Absolutely Not”
The day the colon stops cooperating If small bowel obstruction is the frantic traffic jam of the gut, large bowel obstruction is the motorway shutdown, slower to … Read more
Read“When the Bowel Hits a Dead End: A Night on Call With Small Bowel Obstruction”
It always starts with a sound… A low, hollow gurgling echo drifting across the ward. If you’ve been a surgeon long enough, you learn to … Read more
ReadPeptic Ulcer Disease: When Acid Bites Back
A small sore with big ambitions The stomach, that muscular bag of acid and appetite, is built for abuse. It churns, digests, and disinfects, bathing … Read more
ReadChronic Pancreatitis: When the Fire Never Quite Goes Out
A smouldering rebellion If acute pancreatitis is an explosion, then chronic pancreatitis is the slow, relentless fire that follows.The pancreas, once inflamed, never fully forgives. It heals, yes, but … Read more
ReadAcute Pancreatitis: When the Pancreas Goes Rogue
A fiery organ with a short fuse If there’s one abdominal organ that holds a grudge, it’s the pancreas.You can neglect it for years, overload it … Read more
ReadThe Third Kingdom, Obstructive Jaundice: When the Bile Can’t Get Out
When the pipes are blocked, pressure rises… In the First Kingdom, bilirubin production was too high.In the Second, the liver cells were under attack.But in the … Read more
ReadThe Second Kingdom, Hepatocellular Jaundice: When the Liver Itself Falls Ill
When the gatekeepers go on strike… In pre-hepatic jaundice, the liver was overworked but otherwise innocent.But in this Kingdom, the liver itself is the problem. Hepatocellular jaundice … Read more
Read“The First Kingdom: When the Blood Turns Against Itself”
There’s nothing wrong with the liver… yet. When you see a jaundiced patient, most people (students included!) immediately point to the liver and say, “Aha! … Read more
Read“Why is My Patient Yellow?” A Surgical Take on Jaundice
When yellow tells a story There are few things as striking in medicine as jaundice. A patient walks in, and before they’ve even said “hello,” … Read more
Read“When the Gallbladder Loses Its Temper: A Surgeon’s Take on Acute Cholecystitis”
A quiet organ that suddenly turns dramatic You know those people who are calm and composed until, one day, they just explode?That’s the gallbladder for you. … Read more
Read“Gallstones: Pebbles in the Machine”
The unassuming culprit It’s small, pear-shaped, and tucked quietly beneath the liver, yet it’s responsible for an astonishing number of admissions, operations, and late-night calls … Read more
Read“Layers of Pain: Why the Abdomen Hurts the Way It Does, and Why the Embryo Still Gets a Say”
Pain isn’t just anatomy. It’s history. Every time someone grabs their abdomen and says, “It hurts here,” they’re not only showing you a symptom, but … Read more
Read“When the Belly Talks Back: Understanding Abdominal Pain”
It usually starts with a face. You know the one, that grimace patients make when you ask, “Where does it hurt?” It’s a universal expression, … Read more
Read“A Stroll Through the Abdomen (and Other Adventures Beneath the Skin)”
A funny thing about abdomens… You’d be amazed at how many people, even those wearing pristine white coats, think of the abdomen as just a … Read more
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