Exploring the Mysteries of Anesthesia in ‘Counting Backwards’


In a new book, longtime anesthesiologist Dr. Henry Jay Przybylo writes: “I erase consciousness, deny memories, steal time, immobilize the body.”

Przybylo’s book “Counting Backwards: A Doctor’s Notes on Anesthesia” delves into the field’s history, the relationship between patients and their doctors, and the ongoing mystery surrounding much of how anesthesia actually works.

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Przybylo, an associate professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, joins us in conversation.

You can read an excerpt of the book here.


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