Dr. Jess Weiss, The Chief of Anesthesia at the prestigious Boston Hospital, was an excellent mentor and a wonderful teacher.
In July 1968, I was interviewed for a fellowship position in Obstetric Anesthesia by Dr. Jess Weiss, The Chief of Anesthesia at the prestigious Boston Hospital for Women, then known as the “Lying In” division. My first impression of him was excellent and the interview went very well. He was exceptionally young and handsome with a full set of hair. I came home and described him as likely 35 years of age, but later I came to know he was over 50. His full set of hair stayed with him forever and he was the envy of other doctors, especially when seeing him in the Locker room combing his hair.
My first two days were absolute disasters, with failed attempts with a 26-gauge spinal needle administering anesthesia to labor patients. What a disgrace. I thought I was an expert in the regular patient population. Dr Weiss was observing me from the viewing gallery and came over to reassure me. He was an excellent teacher and my moral support. He encouraged me to give 2 days of learning curve and I would master the technique. Of course, he was right. I had turned a new leaf in my practice.
His teachings were to practice safe anesthesia in Obstetrics, a very high-risk field as mother and baby were involved and there was no room for errors. It was most important not to be pressured by Obstetricians or patients to administer General Anesthesia as it was risky for patients in labor with less than one percent of patients receiving General Anesthesia due to Contraindications for Spinal.
He reinforced and emphasized an incident that had occurred where he had refused to give GA to a patient and the Obstetrician had transferred the patient to another hospital. She received GA and had untoward permanent results. I understand the movie Verdict in 1993 with Paul Newman was somewhat similar.
The most important invention by Dr. Weiss was The Weiss Epidural needle. That was his EPONYM. A Huber needle modified with 2 wings.
It is now used universally a state of art needle for administering epidural anesthesia in labor patients and surgical patients to millions of lucky women all over the world, using his invention to make the procedure easier.
Dr Weiss was an excellent Mentor and a wonderful teacher.
He had many more achievements:
- He was the Chair of the Anesthesia Department at Boston “Lying Hospital”
- 1990 Vice Chairman of Brigham and Woman Hospital Harvard Medical School
- 1970 1971President of Mass Society of Anesthesia.
- 1984 President of American Society of Anesthesia.
- 1985-1987 President of Anesthesia Safety Foundation, I was lucky to be trained under him and worked with him 1968-1973.
- He passed away in 2007
In1974 after one year at LMH I visited him, and he said come back home and the door is always open.
1996 at my 25th Resident Alumni reunion at Harvard Med School he came from Florida to meet and greet me at the new Brigham and Woman Hospital. I was the only one from the dept and so felt greatly honored.
That’s when he told me to go and exchange the gift of a Tie, I received by error for a scarf I. I returned with the tie as there were only ties no scarfs. No women.
HYPERLINKS:
https://litfl.com/jess-bernard-weiss/
