Innovation and Perseverance: A History of the Tulane University Department of Surgery

When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005, many personal and historical documents were destroyed throughout the city. As the Tulane faculty and staff became accustomed to post-Katrina life, they realized that no official record of the Department of Surgery had ever been published. After years of work, many people have assembled the rich history of the Department of Surgery. Starting with firsthand accounts of Katrina and then traveling through a chronological history of the department, the book explores both triumphs and tribulations. From surgeons dueling outside Charity Hospital, to the devastation of Katrina, to the pioneering advancements of Matas and Ochsner, the tale of the Tulane Department of Surgery captures one side of the immense history of New Orleans.