The Struggles of a Medical Innovator

Book excerpt: "William F. House D.D.S., M.D. is called "the Father of Neurotology"--the treatment of inner ear disorders. In this fascinating memoir, he describes his struggles to introduce new ideas to ear surgery and how medical professionals were always slow to accept his "radical" approaches. He tells of his dental and medical training, including time at Los Angeles County Hospital. Seven chapters each describe a problem in the treatment of ear disease and hearing loss and how he developed solutions. These chapters give insight into the thought processes of this giant in his field; including his use of the operating microscope, development of surgical approaches to remove tumors on the hearing nerve, a surgical treatment for Ménière's disease that enabled one of his patients, the astronaut Alan Shepard, to fly to the moon, and perhaps his greatest achievement--the first cochlear implant, allowing so many to leave their silent worlds. Dr. House gives readers an inside look at his development of this revolutionary device, the significant opposition he faced in trying to make it a clinical reality and his theory about how cochlear implants really work. He describes his life's stories, ranging from experiences with the entertainment industry and legal system to his travels around the world. Finally, we hear from many doctors he helped to train and grateful cochlear implant patients, among others."--Publisher's description.