Biomedical subjects
R S Blacher
Publications and source records attributed to R S Blacher.
Paradoxical depression after heart surgery: a form of survivor syndrome.
A study of patients who developed depression immediately after heart surgery is presented. Nineteen of the twenty patients shared a history of having lost a close object who had died as a result of complications following a minor surgical procedure or illness, or had suffered from a disease similar to the one the patient now had, but for which there had been no surgical help at the time. The patients are compared with other survivors and are discussed in terms of both survival and paradoxical reaction. Almost all of the patients showed quick recovery when these issues were pointed out.
The language of the heart.
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On awakening paralyzed during surgery. A syndrome of traumatic neurosis.
We have observed several cases of a traumatic neurotic syndrome in patients who awakened from light anesthesia while still unable to move. The subsequent symptoms of anxiety and irritability, preoccupation with death, and repetitive nightmares should lead the physician to suspect the condition even though the patient is reluctant to talk about it. A direct explanation of the situation often serves as a dramatic cure.
The meaning of heart-valve surgery to the patient.
Observations are presented about patients' psychological reactions to the experience of having a heart valve replaced or repaired. The importance of the patient's conceptualization of the cardiac valve and the surgical procedure is discussed. By understanding what such a procedure may mean to the patient, the medical staff can help make a terrifying experience more bearable.