Off the Top of My Head: Stories from the Operating Room That Will Make You Laugh (or Cry)

Inside every skull is a story of heart, humanity--and the occasional hairball.

You might think brain surgery is all cool precision and high-stakes drama. Sometimes it is. But more often, it's a gritty, smelly, surprisingly absurd job--one that involves titanium screws, tumors the size of grapefruits, and moments so human they'll break your heart or make you snort with laughter behind your surgical mask. In Off the Top of My Head, Dr. Barbara Lazio peels back the sterile curtain of the operating room and shares the unexpected stories that come with a life spent elbows-deep in the human brain.

With warmth, wit, and a scalpel-sharp eye for detail, Dr. Lazio invites readers into her world--where mortality is never far away, but neither is meaning, connection, or the occasional gallows-humored joke.

Inside, you'll find:

• Gripping behind-the-scenes moments from the OR--equal parts miraculous and messy
• Memorable patients facing the unimaginable with courage, humor, and grace
• A rare glimpse into the emotional life of a neurosurgeon
• Unexpected levity in the face of death, grief, and the unknown

Whether she's rebuilding a shattered skull or laughing through tears with a family on the edge of loss, Dr. Lazio reminds us that behind every dramatic headline or surgical success is something deeply, beautifully human.

Off the Top of My Head is a book for anyone who wonders what really happens when the brain--and life--hangs in the balance.

For over two decades, Dr. Barbara Lazio has been a frontline neurosurgeon and writer. Now, as a respected medical school faculty member, she operates and teaches essential neurosurgery skills to budding neurosurgeons. In a world where gravity and seriousness rule, she strives to find tenderness and humor.

Her work has been published in Heart of a Lion, Hands of a Woman: What Women Neurosurgeons Do, and Being a Woman Surgeon: Sixty Women Share Their Stories. Her essays have appeared on KevinMD, Doximity, and fiveminutelit. When she is not doing brain or spine surgery, she can be found exploring the mountains and beaches of the Pacific Northwest with her husband, two daughters, and dogs.