Medicine: A Vocation of Head and Heart

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Brain and Heart: The Triumphs and Struggles of a Pediatric Neurosurgeon is a medical memoir that explores the thoughts and emotions that accompany the responsibility of making complex choices with life-changing consequences. Listen in to a conversation with Dr. David Sandberg on courage, love, compassion, hope and the other virtues that shape his vocation as a pediatric neurosurgeon.

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Meet the Speaker: David Sandberg MD, FACS, FAAP

David I. Sandberg, MD, FACS, FAAP, is a fellowship-trained pediatric neurosurgeon who is the director of pediatric neurosurgery at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). He has a special clinical and research interest in pediatric brain tumors, and specializes in minimally invasive endoscopic approaches to brain tumors, hydrocephalus and arachnoid cysts, as well as surgical management of arteriovenous malformations of the brain, congenital spinal anomalies, spasticity and craniofacial anomalies.

In addition to his appointment at McGovern Medical School, Dr. Sandberg is a clinical associate professor in the Department of Neurosurgery and Division of Pediatrics at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and serves as co-director of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Program at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital. The recipient of numerous research grants, he has pioneered novel treatment approaches for pediatric brain tumors, and he is principal investigator of several clinical trials currently being conducted at McGovern Medical School and MD Anderson Cancer Center investigating direct administration of chemotherapy into the fourth ventricle for treatment of childhood malignant posterior fossa tumors.

A graduate of Harvard University, Dr. Sandberg received his medical degree at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He completed neurosurgery training at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University/New York Presbyterian Hospital. During residency, he was awarded the Resident Traveling Fellowship in Pediatric Neurosurgery by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Congress of Neurological Surgeons, which he completed at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. He then completed pediatric neurosurgery fellowship training at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Before joining McGovern Medical School, Dr. Sandberg served as associate professor of clinical neurological surgery and pediatrics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

Brain and Heart: The Triumphs and Struggles of a Pediatric Neurosurgeon

In this moving, unflinching, and inspiring book, Dr. David Sandberg, an internationally renowned pediatric neurosurgeon, brilliantly combines his deep scientific and medical knowledge with raw emotion and unforgettably powerful stories of courage and love. The brain is the most complicated and perplexing of our organs, and it is also the one that makes us human. When it comes to a child’s brain, the hearts of those who love them become inextricably linked to that story.

In Brain and Heart, Dr. Sandberg describes the joy, heartbreak, uncertainty, and physical and emotional challenges that come with performing brain surgery on children. What makes this book different from previously published medical memoirs is Dr. Sandberg’s unique honesty about what goes through his mind when he makes the most complex choices with life-changing consequences. While most medical memoirs focus largely on the patient perspective, Dr. Sandberg allows readers access to his private thoughts when making agonizing decisions—from giving the worst news imaginable to facing very scary surgical complications.

A father himself, Dr. Sandberg understands deeply how every one of his patients is an entire world, and his devotion to his patients and his work shines through on every page. We follow him as he finds his way to neurosurgery as a young doctor through to his most heartbreaking cases and greatest triumphs. We also travel with him to underserved countries, where lifesaving surgeries that are common here are almost nonexistent, and Dr. Sandberg shares the stories of the dedicated doctors and surgeons trying to enact change. Brain and Heart is an unforgettable book that will strengthen our sense of compassion and hope.

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Interview: A Pediatric Neurosurgeon’s Take on the Brain and the Heart from Common Sense with Dr. Ben Carson

Dr. David Sandberg, renowned pediatric neurosurgeon, joins Dr. Carson to discuss his personal journey from neurosurgeon to author and from doctor to patient.  Dr. Sandberg’s recent memoir, “Brain and Heart: The Triumphs and Struggles of a Pediatric Neurosurgeon” is a warm and telling look into the world behind the operating doors. Together they discuss his early interest in neurosurgery, how he navigates the challenges of treating pediatric brain tumors, and the emotional complexities of the profession. They also delve into safety tips for children and Dr. Sandberg’s recent diagnosis of Young Onset Parkinson’s disease. The episode offers insights into the demanding yet rewarding life of a pediatric neurosurgeon and the joys and heartbreak of working with young patients.

View the interview here.

A moment that changed everything - with Dr. David Sandberg

From Chapter 1 of “Brain and Heart: The Triumphs and Struggles of a Pediatric Neurosurgeon” – a raw exploration of practicing medicine where experience guides decisions, but miracles still happen.

Dr. Sandberg faced every neurosurgeon’s nightmare: a pediatric patient presenting near brain death with extensor posturing and a hematoma that needed draining. In a field built on anecdotal findings and expert opinions, prior experience suggested the outcome would be devastating – draining the hematoma wouldn’t reverse the brain damage, and the child would likely face severe lifelong disabilities.

He advised the family accordingly, based on decades of collective surgical experience.

The patient made a full recovery.

This moment shattered his understanding of what neurosurgery “knows” and left him questioning: how many other families received similar guidance based on expert opinion rather than hard science?

To view the recording, click here.

Podcast: Chasing Life Podcast- How Surgeons Balance Hope with Honesty

Every day, in hospitals across the country, surgeons make countless life-or-death decisions. For those who operate on children, those stakes can feel even higher. Dr. David Sandberg, author of “Brain and Heart: The Triumphs and Struggles of a Pediatric Neurosurgeon,” sits down with Sanjay, a fellow neurosurgeon, to swap stories from the operating room and give a glimpse into how surgeons think under pressure.

To listen to the podcast, click here.