The Spirit of the Heart by Ismael N. Nuno, M.D.
Review: As I approached this collection of stories from Dr. Nuno, I could not help but think that this is such a beautiful book that should be shared with someone you love and passed on to from friend to friend. Nuno not only tells us "stories", but he reminiscences, contemplates, and philosophizes life and death. You can tell by his passionate speaking that he must be a magnificent surgeon and a wonderful human being. This can serve as a self help manual for those who are dealing with loss and looking to "let go". Each section whether it be "Family", "Loss/Letting Go", "Healing/Connection", or "Spirit" has a little something for everyone. His personal experiences with family and colleagues are so genuine and refreshing that you feel as if you are on a journey with a long loss friend. I highly recommend this to anyone who is in the medical profession and anyone who is looking for short upbeat stories that can lift their spirits.
Biography: Doctor Nuño was born in Mexico in 1950. He received his undergraduate education at UCLA and obtained a BA in Zoology in 1972. He received his MD degree in 1976. Dr. Nuño received his training in General Surgery at UCSD and his training in Cardiothoracic Surgery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He is certified by both the American Board of Surgery and The American Board of Thoracic Surgery. He is a member of many professional societies like The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, The American College of Cardiology, The Western Thoracic Surgical Association and The American College of Surgeons.
Doctor Nuño was in the United States Army for a period of ten years. He served as Chief of Surgery in Heidelberg, Germany and Seoul, South Korea. He was also on the teaching staff of the Uniformed Services University for the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. His duties included being adjunct surgeon for the White House in 1990. He was Deputy Commander of the 5th MASH Unit during Desert Storm in the Middle East. He left the military with the rank of Lt. Colonel.
Doctor Nuño went on to receive further training in Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, Texas with Dr. Denton Cooley. He then became a member of the teaching staff at UCI before moving to Los Angeles and establishing his private Practice at Huntington Memorial Medical Center. He joined the Keck School of Medicine at USC in 1995. He is was the Chief of Cardiac Surgery at the LAC+USC Medical Center. His hospital appointments included the USC-University Hospital, Huntington Memorial Medical Center and the LAC+USC Medical Center. Dr. Nuño's expertise lies in the surgical treatment of bacterial endocarditis, the treatment of multiple valve defects, coronary artery revascularization, circulatory assist support and surgery for diseases of the aorta.
