PART TWO: SURGICAL STORIES OF THE FAMOUS BY CONOR MAGEE MD FRCS, CONSULTANT SURGEON
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MEDICAL
PART TWO: SURGICAL STORIES OF THE FAMOUS BY CONOR MAGEE MD FRCS, CONSULTANT SURGEON
In last month’ s issue I recounted the cases of Albert Einstein’ s aneurysm and Bob Marley’ s melanoma. In this article, I will discuss two more famous surgical cases- there is also a common, tragic theme to both that I will expand upon at the end.
Case 1: The sports car with the missing number plate and the technology guru For many years, Californians noticed a silver sports car missing a licence plate that was often found in non-parking areas. The car would always be a convertible Mercedes SL AMG- top of the range and extremely powerful- but without a number plate- it’ s owner could never be traced …
The owner was a world-famous technology guru- a pioneer in the computer industry renowned for bridging the gap between nerds and artists. Usually a man of robust health and temperament he became increasingly unwell and was diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas. For most people, pancreatic cancer is a devastating diagnosis with no hope of cure- however our patient was fortunate to be diagnosed with a form of pancreas cancer that can be effectively treated with surgery. Despite this he declined an operation and pursued a course of diets, meditation and alternative therapies- a decision he later regretted as his disease progressed. He eventually underwent radical surgery and regained his health only for the cancer to return with a vengeance. The patient underwent a further liver transplant but died from recurrent cancer aged 56.
The patient was, of course, Steve Jobs. The story behind his car is fascinating- in California new cars can be driven for three months before needing to be registered with licence plates. Steve Jobs would simply order a new car every three months, allowing him to drive and park unencumbered by the laws we all must follow. I am not sure whether it was this character trait that drove his desire to refuse surgical advice.
A final interesting point is that Jobs had his liver transplant in Tennessee yet was a resident of California, 2000 miles away. In both the UK and America, your place on a transplant waiting list is dictated by your clinical condition. The USA differs in having that
each state has it’ s won transplant service. However, having the ability to fly at a moment’ s notice to any transplant centre in the USA and arrive within hours, means you can be on multiple transplant lists.
Case 2: The actor and the coffee enemas This screen actor- often considered the“ King of Cool”, with a penchant for fast cars had spent time in the Navy working to remove insulation from pipes. At the height of his fame he developed a persistent cough and despite giving up smoking and repeated courses of antibiotics his health deteriorated. He began to lose weight and was diagnosed with lung cancer. Although told his cancer was incurable he sought the help of a self-styled alternative doctor who subjected him to coffee enemas, massage therapy and injections of pig and cow serum. Unsurprisingly his disease progressed and was further diagnosed with an enormous tumour within his abdomen. At this point it is startling to realise that his coffee-enema prescribing doctor decided to inform the world that the patient was cured!
In failing health, the patient underwent surgery in Mexico to remove this tumour but died shortly afterwards. The patient was Steve McQueen star of The Great Escape- perhaps the last of the true action men whose on-screen persona was a true reflection of their actual life. McQueen’ s lung cancer was unusual as it was a mesothelioma( cancer of the lung lining). Mesothelioma is not caused by smoking but rather exposure to asbestos. As a young sailor the pipe insulation he was removing was almost certainly asbestos.
The common thread in these two stories is the exploitation of illness by charlatans only interested in money. In both cases desperately ill patients have been manipulated and conned by quacks peddling false hope and fraudulent medicine. Unfortunately, scandalous behaviour such as this still exists. We are fortunate in the UK to have the NHS, where expertise and treatment is available free to all. I don’ t want to be political but it is your NHS- support it and use it!
Mr Magee operates at Spire Murrayfield Hospital and can be contacted there. He can be followed on Twitter @ mageefrcs. wirrallife. com 69