Notes of a Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon: Where the Heart Beats

In this book, he speaks openly about the complexities of the profession, about children whose lives he had the chance to save, and shares personal reflections.

You are about to read the story of a doctor who travels even to the most remote parts of the world to perform operations on children and give them a chance at a healthy, bright future.

Over the years, the doctor saved approximately 6,000 children’s lives.

Pediatric cardiac surgeon René Prêtre is one of the most well-known and gifted doctors of our time. Behind him is immense experience: for many years, he has been performing heart surgeries almost every day. Thanks to his persistence, selfless dedication, and genuine involvement, hundreds of children in different countries have been given the opportunity to live long and happily.

In his book, Prêtre tells about his work and his own life. Here, warm, lyrical memories intertwine with almost documentary episodes from the operating room—many of them reconstructed from the author’s audio recordings.

· René Prêtre regularly travels on medical missions to African countries; for many local children, his arrival becomes their only chance at survival.
· In the years described, on average, he performed around 350 heart surgeries every year.
· Winner of the “Swiss Person of the Year — 2009” award.
· Today, Prêtre is a professor at the University of Lausanne and the head of the cardiothoracic surgery department at the university hospital.