The Knife's Edge

An intimate and compelling exploration into the unique psyche of the heart surgeon, by one of the professional most eminent figures. Although Professor Stephen West a by was born with the necessary coordination and manual dexterity, it was a head trauma sustained during University that gifted him the qualities of an exceptional heart surgeon: qualities that are frequently associated with psychopathy. His thirty-five-year career has been characterised by fearlessness and ruthless ambition; leaving empathy at the hospital door as thousands of patients put their lives in his hands. For heart surgeons, the inevitable cost of failure is death and in the knife’s edge, West a by reflects on the unique mind-set of those who are drawn to this exhilarating and often tragic profession. We discover the pioneers who grasped opportunities and took chances to drive innovation and save lives