Dr. Mahmood Hai is an internationally renowned urologist known for his pioneering work on the GreenLight Laser device, which revolutionized prostate surgery.
I remember a gentleman who was totally bedridden because he had to live with a catheter all the time. He had gone to several doctors, and they all said, “You’re too old. You have too many medical problems. You’re on blood thinners. We can’t operate on you.”
He came to me and said, “I’m 92 years old. Can you do something to get rid of this?” I did the surgery. A week later, I saw him in the office and he hugged me and wouldn’t stop crying. He said, “I never dreamt that I would ever be without a catheter. I never thought I’d be able to urinate.”
It leaves deep impressions in your heart. I’ve been very close to my patients. I tell them, “The day you come to see me, you become a part of my family.” And I treat them like that. I hug them, I cry with them when they hurt. I go to their funerals when they die. I go to their son’s wedding when there’s happiness. Because to me, that is life. They are my friends. They are my uncles. They are my aunts. They are my children. It’s not a profession. It’s part of who I am.
When I was leaving for medical school, my father said, “When you see your patients, look into their eyes, and tell the truth. They will trust you and believe you. During your meeting with them, make sure you touch them. If they want to hug you, if they want to physically shake hands with you—that’s how you can communicate.”
That was very good advice. If they don’t trust you, then they are not going to get better with your treatment. And, you must have trust in them. It’s a relationship.