A 98 Year Old With A Worsening Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm – What is The Right Thing To Do?

Palliative care and end of life decision making are two of the most complicated aspects of medicine and I’ve been reviewing the subjects in recent blog posts.

The two articles below are perfect examples of the dilemmas that face patients, family members, and clinicians.

I urge everyone who is or may face these problems to read and ponder the two articles linked below.

The New York Times has published two articles that bare on this difficult topic and discuss the case of the great surgeon, Dr. Michael Debakey.

These articles are well worth reviewing for anyone (clinician, patient, or family) involved in medical decision making and end of life decision making.

The Man on the Table Devised the Surgery
By LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN DEC. 25, 2006 New York Times

Michael DeBakey, Rebuilder of Hearts, Dies at 99
By LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN JULY 13, 2008

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