Neurosurgery in a cold climate

Abstract

At first glance, The English Surgeon might seem to have a similar theme to Michael Moore's documentary Sicko—a comparison of the UK's National Health Service with health care elsewhere. But Geoffrey Smith's film is primarily a moving and surprisingly entertaining account of how two neurosurgeons from different backgrounds relate to each other and their patients. Henry Marsh is a London-based neurosurgeon who met Smith through their shared passion for Ukraine. Marsh's first visit to the country in 1992 made a lasting impression on him, and he now returns regularly to Kiev to work with his counterpart Igor Petrovic Kurilets. In addition to the two surgeons, we meet patients and their families, although many are seen by us and the neurosurgeons only once: poor access to appointments and scans means that diagnosis often comes too late. However, there is sometimes hope, and we are able to follow a young man called Marian as he prepares for and has surgery to remove a tumour that is causing his epilepsy. The decision of when and whether to operate is often very hard for the surgeons and the patients—for example, Marian's surgery could leave him severely disabled. Marsh likens the situation to Russian roulette. This is an honest film. We see Marsh's frustration with a new computer system in the UK, whereas in Ukraine Kurilets struggles to pay his staff, relies on second-hand and do-it-yourself equipment, and treats as many desperate patients as he can without getting on the wrong side of the authorities. Having left the main Ukrainian health system, Kurilets runs what is effectively a one-man hospital in rented rooms. No-one could accuse the English surgeon or his Ukranian counterpart of choosing an easy life, and both have an inspirational desire to help people. Despite the life-and-death subject matter, The English Surgeon is genuinely funny, with a dry humour that saves the film from being a depressing, although excellent, medical documentary. The only fault I can find is that the film is not scheduled for a wider general cinema release.