Recently a small book, or rather 126-page booklet came out here in India, written in English by Bhalchandra V. Gokhale, entitled Angioplasty, Bypass Surgery Myths and Chelation Therapy Facts. Most certainly, the choice of words in the title itself – surgery ‘myths’ vs. chelation ‘facts’ - easily gives away at which end at the treatment spectrum the author’s loyalties lie; most certainly not with the much touted standard procedures, but rather with chelation therapy.There is another interesting aspect, the author by profession is neither a doctor, or Ayurvedic doctor, or any other kind of holistic health practitioner, but holds an M Tech degree of the prestigious IIT Bombay. Hence, the book is written from his own perspective of having been a heart patient who eventually became so fascinated with his healing through chelation that he used his scientifically educated mind and his expertise in writing (Mr. Gokhale has published more than half a dozen other books on engineering and IT in English and Marathi) for the purpose of exploring the subject. Now, I know a hundred doctors who will indignantly object, “But how can he write about such things if he is not even a doctor!” Well he can, and sometimes an educated layperson’s views are more enlightening than the words of experts who have forgotten the mere relative truth of their textbook knowledge.
The virtues and benefits of chelation, it sounds like, are probably foremost in Gokhale’s heart – and this in more than one way. His passion for the subject makes for interesting reading, even though the reviewer does not agree with the author on all counts. It makes for interesting reading simply because, here in these 126 short pages most of the basic facts about chelation therapy when compared to angioplasty and bypass surgery have been assembled, in the most concise form I have aver encountered in any book.
There are many books on EDTA chelation (if I am correctly informed, 25 altogether that have been released in the English language between 1984 and 2009), but this one is certainly the shortest, putting the information in a nutshell. Gokhale’s book has tables, many statistics and many illustrations that underline and illustrate the author’s descriptions, and are a great help for fully grasping the points that he is making. Just by looking at the table of contents one can easily see that the subject here is not the treatment process of chelation therapy itself. This is not a book about chelation, but about chelation therapy as a health choice when compared to the other choices that are available. For chelation doctors (and there are tens of thousands worldwide, chelation having long shed its fringe existence), the book does not contain any news. However, it is a good read for heart patients and for doctors who have not heard much about chelation (except the usual untenable prejudices), and want to explore the subject further.
From my point of view, on the negative side, the book is written a little too much with an ‘us’ (chelation enthusiasts and specialists) vs. ‘them’ (allopathic and surgical ignoramuses) attitude. According to Gokhale, only chelation is good, the other choices, in 90% of the cases, he deems worthless. Now, him saying so and explaining why, according to the data available to him is okay. I have no problem with books or people being partial to their own point of view. Most books and most people are, and the authors and the scores of allopathic ‘experts’ that put chelation down (without knowing a thing about it) in most chases are more vitriolic in tone and also meaner in attitude than Gokhale ever allows himself to become.
However, if I had written a book on chelation therapy, I would have put less emphasis on the political aspects, and more on overall health issues. I would have done so because I have seen in my patients that chelation therapy in itself rarely has the long-term benefits it can have when unaccompanied by lifestyle changes and changes in overall attitudes. Gokhale devotes but half a page to ‘adjunct health measures’. This is not quite enough. Actually it is poor.
But then, as a writer you make your choices according to the focus of the book you want to write. Which is probably why the author gives very helpful overviews and explanations that any layperson can understand, of what is actually happening to you when you undergo angioplasty and bypass surgery. Whereas, regarding the issue of chelation therapy he only explores the subject superficially, focusing merely on EDTA chelation, which is less than half of the story. But may be enough to begin with.
My final verdict: if you are a heart patient contemplating surgical intervention, the booklet will make for enlightening reading – with an added note of caution that not everyone who proclaims that they are doing chelation really knows (and cares about) what they are doing. You would have to learn whom you trust. And if you are a doctor and not yet totally blinded by what you think you know, this little book may lift the fog of prejudices and give a much-needed alternative perspective – by putting the medical textbook view on the treatment of coronary heart disease into perspective.
The book is certainly well worth the Indian Rs 200 (or $ US 5) it costs.