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Book
reviews
ABC
of
Breast
Diseases
edited
by
J
M
Dixon.
74
pages,
illustrated.
BMJ
Publishing
Group.
1995.
£13.95.
ISBN
0
7279
0915
0.
The
BMJ
Publishing
Group
has
produced
a
series
of
books
dealing
with
the
fundamentals
of
differing
clinical
situations.
They
consist
of
a
collation
of
commissioned
papers
on
a
specific
topic
published
in
the
British
Medical
journal
during
the
preceding
months.
Each
article
is
presented
as
a
chapter
with
diagrams,
photographs,
information
'boxes',
etc,
on
one
side
of
the
page
and
relevant
comments
on
the
other.
The
series
is
up-to-date
and
authoritative
because
of
rapid
publishing
of
the
combined
articles.
The
ABC
of
Breast
Diseases
maintains
the
standard
of
its
predecessors.
The
book
is
edited
by
a
well-known
clinician
specialising
in
breast
disease
who
has
drawn
together
contributions
from
experts
in
breast
disease
practising
in
England,
Scotland
or
Wales.
Naturally,
the
major
topic
is
breast
cancer,
but
other
important
topics
including
congenital
inflammatory
and
painful
breast
problems
are
well
covered.
It
is
valuable
to
have
chapters
on
the
psychological
aspects
of
cancer
and
the
treatment
of
advanced
disease
as
well
as
a
clear
exposition
of
the
current
position
with
regard
to
screening
and
treatment
of
operable
breast
cancer.
The
production
standard
of
both
the
illustrations
and
the
text
is
of
high
quality,
remarkably
cheap
and
easy
to
handle.
The
book
can
be
recommended
to
a
wide
medical
audience
including
medical
students
and
general
practitioners
as
well
as
general
surgeons.
PHILIP
F
SCHOFIELD
Professor
of
Surgery
University
of
Manchester
Arterial
Aneurysms:
Diagnosis
and
Manage-
ment
by
Michael
Horrocks.
246
pages,
illustrated.
Butterworth-Heinemann.
1995.
£55.00.
ISBN
0
7506
1368
8.
The
familiar
names
of
vascular
surgeons
in
the
United
Kingdom
head
the
chapters
in
this
comprehensive
text
on
arterial
aneurysms.
Topics
ranging
from
aetiology,
diagnosis,
screening,
complications
and
the
role
of
perspective
of
anaesthesia
and
risk
assessment
are
all
clearly
set
out.
Each
chapter
is
extensively
reviewed.
The
appearance
of
an
anaesthetist
writing
in
a
surgical
text
is
refreshing.
The
point
that
the
improvement
in
vascular
surgery
has
been
aided
by
improved
anaesthesia
as
well
as
improved
surgery
is
well
made.
The
author
also
emphasises
the
need
for
personal
assessment
of
the
patient's
cardiac
function
and
there
is
a
useful
algorithm
for
cardiac
investigation.
Blood
transfusion
at
the
time
of
surgery
is
also
the
topic
of
another
chapter.
Aortic
aneurysm
surgery
is
a
good
model
for
the
adoption
of
blood
conservation
and
some
centres
in
the
United
Kingdom
have
taken
this
on
board
with
vigour.
It
is,
however,
not
as
universally
available
as
in
the
United
States.
The
author
makes
a
good
case
for
this
and
challenges
the
current
reluctance
to
institute
these
procedures
in
British
practice.
In
summary,
the
book
would
be
a
valuable
addition
to
the
library
shelves
of
postgraduate
centres
and
vascular
surgery
services.
It
is
an
excellent
text
for
vascular
surgeons
in
practice
and
for
specialist
registrars
in
training
whether
aspiring
to
a
major
commitment
in
vascular
surgery
or
not.
It
not
only
reflects
current
practice
but
challenges
new
ideas,
particularly
in
the
area
of
blood
transfusion.
LINDA
DE
COSSART
Consultant
Vascular
and
General
Surgeon
Countess
of
Chester
Hospital
Chester
Atlas
of
Colorectal
Surgery
by
M
R
B
Keighley,
J
H
Pemberton,
V
W
Fazio,
Rolland
Parc.
395
pages
illustrated.
Churchill
Livingstone,
New
York.
1996.
£95.00.
ISBN
0
443
07570
0.
This
is
a
book
which
unashamedly
talks
about
technique
in
colorectal
surgery.
It
is
written
by
four
surgeons,
who
all
have
a
high
record
of
academic
achievement
but
all
are
considered
to
be
master
surgeons;
one
from
England,
one
from
France,
one
from
the
United
States
and
one
from
the
United
States
via
Australia.
The
book
is
well
and
clearly
illustrated
in
black
and
white
to
show
stages
in
various
operations
both
abdominal
and
perineal.
It
covers
the
spectrum
of
colorectal
procedures.
The
text
amplifies
the
illustrations
and
is
written
in
simple,
clear,
concise
English.
This
is
a
practical
book
with
no
references,
no
description
of
indications
or
outcome.
The
chapters
are
all
'How
I
do
it'.
What
is
enchanting
is
that
one
of
the
four
authors
writes
a
chapter
and
then
one,
two
or
three
of
the
other
authors
discuss
variations,
differences
and
similarities
in
their
preferred
method.
I
found
it
a
pleasure
to
read
and,
rather
like
a
good
novel,
I
found
it
difficult
to
put
down.
The
authors
say
the
book
is
aimed
at
every
general
surgeon
and
trainee.
All
surgeons
with
an
interest
in
colorectal
technique
would
enjoy
reading
this
book.
I
doubt
that
any
surgeon
of
experience
will
read
the
whole
text
without
finding
some
new
element
that
will
prove
a
useful
addition
to
his
technique.
In
short,
this
is
an
unusual
and
excellent
volume
that
I
would
recommend
most
strongly
to
anyone
interested
in
colorectal
surgery.
PHILLIP
F
SCHOFIELD
Professor
of
Surgery
University
of
Manchester
Atlas
of
Open
Knee
Surgery
edited
by
Domin-
ique
G
Poitout,
translated
by
Malcolm
C
Aldridge.
182
pages,
illustrated.
Chapman
&
Hall
Medical.
1996.
£150.00.
ISBN
0
412
58550
2.
This
book
was
first
published
in
French
in
1992
(Atlas
de
Techniques
Chirurgicales
du
Genou,
Masson
Editeur)
by
Professor
Dominique
Poitout,
Professor
of
Orthopaedics
in
Marseilles.
Intended
as
a
basic
text
for
use
by
390
Book
reviews
inexperienced
surgeons,
it
deliberately
emphasised
basic
principles
of
classic
operations
which
are
in
routine
use.
Professor
Poitout
enlisted
the
help
of
numerous
inter-
nationally
acknowledged
knee
experts
to
contribute
to
the
volume,
and
the
artist
Leon
Dom
to
provide
very
fine
anatomical
drawings.
He
considered
that
a
good
drawing
was
much
clearer
to
the
student
than
photographic
illustrations,
and
allowed
a
great
reduction
in
the
accompanying
text.
The
book
has
now
been
translated
into
English
and
published
in
a
very
fine
volume.
M.
Dom's
illustrations
in
the
book
are
of
universally
excellent
quality.
Each
colour
drawing
(5-10
for
each
surgical
procedure)
demonstrates
clearly
the
surgical
anatomy
and
operative
technique.
The
style
of
the
text
is
clear,
concise
and
to
the
point
and
the
reader
has
no
difficulty
in
following
the
descriptions.
The
layout,
print
and
paper
quality
are
most
pleasing
to
the
eye.
The
overall
result
then
a
very
clear,
readable
and
beautifully
produced
book
which
would
be
a
very
useful
reference
volume
in
any
orthopaedic
department.
The
operations
covered
by
the
book and
the
particular
techniques
employed
have
a
predominantly
French
perspective.
The
French
approach
to
many
problems
is
often
refreshingly
different
from
that
of
British
and
American
tradition
and
makes
the
content
of
this
book
all
the
more
interesting.
Even
where
a
surgical
technique
is
covered
which
has
not
gained
widespread
acceptance
in
Britain,
the
discussion
of
surgical
details
and
technical
tricks
will
be
of
interest
to
knee
surgeons
everywhere.
The
authors
are
to
be
congratulated
on
producing
this
major
contribution
to
the
education
of
knee
surgeons.
A
G
COBB
Consultant
Orthopaedic
Surgeon
and
Hon
Senior
Lecturer
University
College
London
Laser
Surgery
and
Medicine:
Principles
and
Practice
edited
by
Carmen
A
Puliafito.
447
pages,
illustrated.
John
Wiley
&
Sons.
1996.
£60.00.
ISBN
0
471
12070
7.
A
surgeon
is
portrayed
on
the
cover
of
this
smartly
produced
book
wielding
the
delicate
wand
of
a
laser
in
his
hand.
He
has
a
quizzical
expression
seeming
to
tease
us
with
the
question
as
to
whether
the
laser
will
eventually
replace
the
scalpel.
Within
are
13
chapters
setting
out
the
role
of
this
modality
in
a
representative
range
of
disciplines
including
dermatology
and
dentistry,
together
with
the
general
topics
of
laser
safety;
laser
welding
of
tissue
and
photodynamic
therapy.
It
is
a
very
worthwhile
enterprise
to
combine
so
much
information
in
the
quite
compact
format
of
447
pages,
making
this
a
book
for
any
medical
library.
All
of
the
chapters
have
been
published
previously
as
review
articles
in
the
well-respected
journal
Lasers
in
Surgery
and
Medicine
during
1994
and
1995,
imposing
a
slight
temporal
limitation
on
references
in
this
rapidly
evolving
subject.
The
editor
is
a
lady
ophthalmic
surgeon
and
this
is
fitting
in
that
her
discipline
was
the
first
to
capitalise
extensively
on
the
minimally
invasive,
minimal
morbidity
properties
of
the
laser
beam
in
a
limited
anatomical
confine.
All
of
the
contributing
authors
are
from
the
USA
and
this
is
perhaps
a
pity;
for
example
the
Federal
Drugs
Administration
has
limited
clinical
activity
in
photodynamic
therapy
and
low
intensity
lasers,
although
the
relevant
chapters
review
the
literature
adequately.
The
book
is
quite
generously
illustrated
with
some
coloured
plates
(outside
the
text)
and
many
black
and
white
photographs,
although
the
reproduction
of
the
latter
is
not
always
of
the
highest
quality
as
is
frequently the
case
with
modern
printing
techniques.
There
are
no
chapters
on
plastic
surgery
(despite
the
current
interest
in
skin
resurfacing
laser
techniques,
etc.),
orthopaedics
(lasers
are
now
used
extensively
in
arthro-
scopic
techniques),
or
oral
and
maxillofacial
surgery;
the
reviewer
has
a
whole
specialist
textbook
on
the
latter
discipline
also
on
his
desk
for
review
indicating
the
range
of
surgical
applications
in
the
oral
environment.
What
would
be
of
real
benefit
to
someone
unfamiliar
with
laser
practice
is
a
chapter
bringing
it
all
together
with
a
title
such
as
'The
Potential
Benefits
of
Lasers
in
Surgery'.
This
would
provide
a
review
of
basic
principles,
together
with
an
account
of
the
special
advantages
inherent
in
lasers
not
ignoring
some
of
the
contra-side
such
as
cost
and
size
of
apparatus
(factors
which
could
be
solved
by
the
diode
revolution
and
frequency
doubling
crystals
plus
optical
resonators).
The
question
seemingly
posed
by
our
quizzical
surgeon
of
the
front
cover
needs
to
be
answered
as
far
as
is
possible
within
the
existing
range
of
current
knowledge;
the
answer
could
be
a
qualified
'Yes'
in
the
opinion
of
the
reviewer.
P
F
BRADLEY
Professor
of
Oral
and
Maxillofacial
Surgery
The
Royal
London
Hospital
Maingot's
Abdominal
Operations
edited
by
Michael
J
Zinner,
Seymour
I
Schwartz,
Harold
Ellis.
10th
edition.
2150
pages,
illustrated.
Appleton
and
Lange.
1997.
£195.00.
ISBN
0
385
0627
5.
I
start
with
a
significant
prejudice
against
this
book
because
of
its
weight.
It
is
in
two
volumes,
each
of
which
weighs
6-7
lbs
and
this
makes
it
difficult
to
handle
or
use.
The
two
volumes
cover
more
than
2100
pages
and
82
chapters
and
form
an
exhaustive
survey
of
abdominal
disease.
This
is
the
tenth
edition
of
'Maingot'
which
has
changed
from
a
book
discussing
the
problems
of
abdominal
operations
to
a
general
text
covering
the
whole
spectrum
of
abdominal
disease,
so
that
most
of
the
first
400
pages
are
about
the
investigation
and
evaluation
of
gastrointestinal
disorders.
Thereafter
individual
chapters
deal
with
the
abdominal
wall
and
peritoneum
as
well
as
surgery
of
the
digestive
'tube',
the
hepato-pancreatico-biliary
axis
and
gynaecological
pelvic
operations.
Surgery
of
the
adrenal
glands
and
spleen
are
also
included,
as
is
specialised
children's
abdominal
surgery.
Many
of
the
individual
chapters
are
excellent
with
extremely
full
reference
sections;
in
some
chapters
extending
to
more
than
400
individual
references.
I
was
pleased
to
see
that
when
we
do
arrive
at
the
part
of
the
book
that
deals
with
abdominal
operations
the
reference
lists
get
shorter
and
the
text
becomes
nearer
to
the
original
intention
of
this
publication.
The
standard
of
the
illustrations
of
both
radiographs
and
operative
proce-
dures
is
excellent.
This
book
is
written
by
more
than
100
different
authors,
the
majority
of
whom
are
from
the
United
States.
The
many
contributors
cause
a
variation
in
style,