Geisinger pediatric surgeon writes book about surgery in a war zone

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When Chris Coppola was in college, he didn't have the financial means to follow his dream of medical school so he joined the Air Force, swapping his medical education for a six-year stint on-call for the military.

Answering that call brought 2nd Lt. Christopher Paul Coppola to a compound of medical tents in Iraq.

"Coppola: a Pediatric Surgeon in Iraq" is the book he made out of his memories and his letters home while on duty in Iraq. His first four-month tour of duty at the Balad Air Force in 2005, saw him operating in tents that were neither heated in winter nor air conditioned in summer. Fine sand, alternating with mud, seeped under the tent flaps.

His second deployment in 2007-08 at the same Air Base found him in a thoroughly modern metal and concrete building. But the suffering was just as bad. Troops wounded by IED's (improvised explosive devices), civilians caught in the crossfire, children burned by grenade attacks on their homes, even captured insurgents who resisted the medical care and spit on the nurse - all these demand the very best the medical staff can offer.

Ironically, the more modern the facility, the more disgruntled the medical personnel became.

As one medic put it, "In the tents, it felt like an adventure; everyone pitched in like we were at war. Now people just hide behind their desks and write PowerPoint presentations."

The two-plus years between his deployments saw other changes on the base, as well. The Iraqi translators had been replaced with American translators. The Iraqi support staff had been moved out for multinational contractors. Greek and Turkish merchants had purchased franchises to sell crafts and souvenirs. Indians served the meals. Filipinos did the laundry and Ugandan Army troops guarded the hospital.

In one chapter after another the reader can live the divided life of Dr. Coppola - longing for home in every idle moment and giving his all to each of his patients in the frantically busy operating rooms.

The book has been called a "love story" because of the long-distance relationship he has with his wife and children. It also has been called a heart-wrenching look at the medical procedures available to the victims of war. And it has been summed up in the words of Dr. Pauline Chen: "Powerful, thought-provoking and unforgettable, [this book] stands alone among accounts of the Iraq War ... Chris Coppola has chosen to focus on the two issues that transcend all conflict: our mortality and our sense of morality. You will never again look at the Iraq war - or any war for that matter - in quite the same way."

Dr. Coppola received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore. He trained in surgery at Yale University and conducted research in the treatment of birth defects before undergoing pediatric surgery specialty training at the Children's National Medical Center. He has completed humanitarian missions to Haiti and Brazil. He is now head of the Pediatric Surgery Department at Geisinger Medical Center, Danville.

Dr. Coppola will sign copies of his book from 5 to 8 p.m. at Otto Book Store, 107 W. Fourth St. Signed first editions may be reserved by calling 326-5764 or 888-762-4526.

Rider is the owner of Otto Book Store.