Heralded as "a testament to the precision, resilience, and compassion that define the very best of medicine," Breathless is a powerful, unflinching, and deeply human exploration of life and death in the pediatric operating room.
Told from the unique perspective of a high-stakes pediatric airway surgeon, this gripping collection of true surgical stories by Dr. Tali Lando invites readers behind the doors of a modern trauma hospital to experience what it's like to be responsible for the breath - and sometimes the very life - of a child.
Through 19 exquisitely rendered chapters, Dr. Lando shares unforgettable tales of tiny preemies, trauma victims, surgical miracles, and heartbreaking losses. Each case is recounted with unvarnished honesty, medical insight, and emotional depth - from an infant in respiratory crisis at a prison visitor center to a teenage boy who nearly suffocates after a biking accident. Meet the spunky little girl named Heaven who changed Dr. Lando's life forever and explore the quiet sacrifices of a surgeon-mother navigating home life in the aftermath of trauma. The stories are as riveting as they are revelatory.
A Binge-Read Book, Brimming with Medical Drama and Human Compassion
Since the first televised medical drama hit the airwaves, the masses have been clamoring for realistic and heart-rending stories about what happens in America's hospitals. Breathless: Surgical Tales from the Brink (and Back) delivers on that need and takes readers beyond their wildest expectations. What makes Breathless so special is not just the intensity of its clinical moments or the complexity of its cases, but the voice behind them. Dr. Lando is a rare talent - a gifted surgeon and storyteller - who combines medical insight with literary grace, humor, vulnerability, and moral clarity. She explores themes of intuition, humility, surgical skill and judgment, collaboration, grief, and the emotional spillover that comes from living every day on the brink. Her narrative voice is equal parts compassionate physician, no-nonsense mentor, self-deprecating friend, and wise advocate for her patients and colleagues.
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"Breathless is an absolute must-read for anyone curious about the hidden world behind operating-room doors. The stories are extraordinary, the writing masterful, and the pacing utterly captivating. I couldn't put it down."
Linda Bluestein, MD, Board-certified Anesthesiologist, Hypermobility Expert, and Host of The Bendy Bodies Podcast
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With Breathless, Dr. Tali Lando accomplishes what few physician-authors have done: she makes the clinical deeply personal and the personal universally meaningful. This is not just a book about surgery - it's a book about being human in the most vulnerable, courageous, and life-altering moments. And it's about coming together in service of the most noble aim - saving and improving lives.
A one-of-a-kind book for medical professionals, patients and families, medical students and residents, nurses and healthcare leaders, and voracious readers who appreciate high-stakes memoirs, real-life drama, and beautifully written stories of resilience and care.
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With a foreword by Dr. Mike Rutter, Cincinnati Children's Hospital.
Breathless comes on the heels of Dr. Lando's breakout book, Hell & Back: Wife & Mother, Doctor & Patient, Dragon Slayer, a hilariously funny and informative memoir for breast cancer patients and their families.
