Dr. Irving S. Cooper

George O’Brien and Douglas Cooper interview the neurosurgeon Irving Cooper about his book, "The Victim is Always the Same," which deals with educating surgeons to have compassion.

Dr. Cooper's latest non-fiction is a very readable story about two girls, ages ten and eleven, who have been subjected to endless misdiagnoses before being referred to him for help. 

O'Brien aptly asks why Cooper has borrowed his title from the French existentialist, Albert Camus. The neurosurgeon says that while Camus was writing about victims of World War II, these patients have acquired a crippling, incapacitating disease, through no fault of their own, and have also become the hapless victims of a profession lacking compassion for their circumstance.

O'Brien asks if this means new surgical techniques may have to be used for the first time. Dr, Cooper analogizes to early efforts in space--sending monkeys first--eventually the calculated risk in trying to help human patients is justified. He warns, however, of "technology over reason," researchers who become too enamored with advancing science at the cost of patient outcomes.

Doug Cooper asks about the AMA’s recent article on decision-by-committee. Dr. Cooper feels that ultimately that becomes unwieldy and paralyzing to involve say, a lawyer, a theologian, an administrator, an accountant. He favors a both scientifically and humanistically-trained doctor, who receives an ongoing education in ethics, legal and theological concepts. In the end, as here, the surgeon can help even these young girls to make mature, informed, logical decisions about their own treatment.

Doug Cooper points out that euthanasia, psycho-surgery--each has grabbed recent headlines. Dr. Cooper states that while neither falls within his orbit, euthanasia presents ethical dilemmas with opposing positions not only within the medical
community, including the AMA, but in the Church, among politicians, even law enforcement.

As for psycho-surgery--the removal of a portion of the brain to change personality or behavior--that, in the past has not proved effective. We need a better definition: if we remove a painful appendix and the patient's mood improves, is that psycho-surgery?

O'Brien concluded by asking about Dr. Cooper's most recent work implanting electrodes in the cerebellum. "George, this is a continuation of my work with the two little girls in this book. I can modulate the electrical activity of the brain--and it's completely non-destructive, reversible, and doesn't interfere with the normal activities of the brain—and help the patient with dystopia, with epilepsy. I just learned that a young patient I operated with cerebral palsy was swimming on his own in the pool."

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The Douglas P. Cooper Distinguished Contemporaries Collection (1967-1974) contains rare interviews with influential writers, statesmen, artists, songwriters, journalists and others who have left their mark on our culture.

The Origins of The Cooper Collection

 

 

 

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