He might not be threatening Jamie Oliver at the top of the best sellers....but he does have a nail with his name on it!
Our Surgeon Subhash Halder - inventor of the Halifax Nail back in the 80s - has gone into print a month before he retires offering tips and tricks in a whopping 2,000 page, three volume mega tome.
To celebrate the landmark achievement he told CHFT Weekly his "nail" is used every two minutes and says seeing his patients on the mend is "a fantastic feeling - there's nothing in the world to match it!"
How proud are you to be in print? Very
How long did it take to write it and did you enjoy it? It took two and a half years to finish the 2000 page, three volumes, and I probably reviewed around 30 000 x-rays to write it. I enjoyed it but it was challenging
What is it about exactly? It details operative technique to fix complex fractures
What made you write it? Over the years all my trainees wanted to share these new techniques to other surgeons. On that basis, I arranged a course “Tips & Tricks Masterclass intramedullary nail course which has run for the last six years and approved by the Royal College of Surgeons. Prof Lavy, FRCS, from Cambridge visited the course and inspired me to write the course materials into a book form so other surgeons can benefit.
Who is it aimed at? - All orthopaedic trauma surgeons
What’s your favourite novel and why? My book!
You're obviously a brilliant surgeon with nails. Are you good at DIY? No - I much prefer gardening.
What is the most difficult type of surgery and why? I carry out so many complex operations I can't single one out!
How many operations have you carried out in your career? Thousands and thousands
How do you feel seeing a patient on the mend? It's a fantastic feeling - there's nothing in the world to match it!
And finally….. will your book outsell Harry Potter? Of course.
Mr Halder has worked at CHFT for 45 years after moving from India where he worked as a general surgeon. He invented the Halifax Nail...now known as the Gamma Nail (used to repair broken hips) because the operation used to involve cutting hips open to repair the fracture and he really didn't like doing the operation. It wasn't the best approach for the patient and it wasn't always a success.
Now with Mr Halder's invention the op can be carried out with just a small hole and the DHS (dynamic hip screw) AKA the Gamma Nail.
Mr Halder's invention was even covered in the Halifax Courier in 1988.....the photo shows the old broadsheet version of the paper.
He said he's going to greatly miss working here when he retires at the end of December saying "The hospital is my life. I'm here seven days a week I love it so much. It's going to be a challenge doing something different. I'll be travelling around the world lecturing but will miss everyone here".