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Hearts
Book review Hearts, Thompson, T: New York: The McCall Publishing Company, 1971, 22 pp, $7.95. Hearts i s the true story of two of the most eminent and world renowned heart surgeons, Michael Ellis DeBakey, MD, and Denton Arthur Cooley, MD. It tells how the two master surgeons became involved in an unforgiving dispute that shocked their colleagues. It also tells about their patients; the men, women and children who came to Houston, seeking a surgical cure for their failing hearts. The author spent months in the surgical suites in Houston, watching the surgeons. His knowledge enabled him to reconstruct the initially hopeful and eventually bleak era of the transplanted heart. Although the book does not have a table of contents, one does not seem necessary. The story, divided into three parts, follows
the "transplant year" from May, 1968, to April, 1969, in logical sequence. Following the story, the author has a detailed summary of the heart transplants as of March 1, 1971. It not only lists the number of transplants performed, but also the total number of recipients, deaths, survivors, the countries in which they were performed and the surgical teams. The book also includes an extensive bibliography of medical books and articles. According to William A Nolan, MD, the author of The Making of A Surgeon, "The book makes us acutely aware of the danger of sacrificing humanity for longevity." This easy to read, well written, clothbound book can be appreciated by both laymen and members of the medical profession.
Mary Ann Kohnke, RN Lake Charles, La
Breasi cysis Certain forms o f fibrocystic disease of the breast must be considered as pre-cancerous lesions and require surgery, two San Francisco surgeons said. A fibrocyst i s a glandular upset resulting i n the formation o f many cysts i n the breast o f women approaching change o f life. These cysts are sometimes associated with the replacement o f the normal gland tissue by firm fibrous tissue. A n exhibit presented at the opening of the clinical congress o f the American College of Surgeons stated that chronic cystic disease occurs predominantly i n women between 35 and 45 years o f age. The disease has three entities: mastoydynia, microcystic, and macrocystic. The microcystic type has the most serious connotation. When subcutaneous mastectomy i s indicated, the object is t o remove a l l o f the glands of the breast, leaving behind a viable skin brassiere and nipple, said the authors, Vincent R Pennisi, MD, FACS, and Angelo Caponi, MD, o f the St Francis Memorial Hospital, plastic and reconstructive surgery center. The remaining breast i s then reconstructed b y a prosthesis. Removal of the gland w i l l eliminate 95 t o 99 per cent o f a l l the diseased breast tissues.
"It must be strongly emphasized that this i s not a cosmetic procedure," said Dr Pennisi. "Although the breasts are adequately reconstructed, they d o not always look esthetically normal. However, i n the face o f breast cancer or a simple mastectomy, the breast reconstructed i n this manner is most adequate." Cancer of the breast is responsible for about 27,000 deaths each year i n the United Stater and five out o f every 100 women w i l l be afflicted b y it. Japanese women, on the other hand, have an extremely low rate o f breast cancer and fibrocystic disease is rare, Dr Pennisi said.
170
AORN Journal
the "transplant year" from May, 1968, to April, 1969, in logical sequence. Following the story, the author has a detailed summary of the heart transplants as of March 1, 1971. It not only lists the number of transplants performed, but also the total number of recipients, deaths, survivors, the countries in which they were performed and the surgical teams. The book also includes an extensive bibliography of medical books and articles. According to William A Nolan, MD, the author of The Making of A Surgeon, "The book makes us acutely aware of the danger of sacrificing humanity for longevity." This easy to read, well written, clothbound book can be appreciated by both laymen and members of the medical profession.
Mary Ann Kohnke, RN Lake Charles, La
Breasi cysis Certain forms o f fibrocystic disease of the breast must be considered as pre-cancerous lesions and require surgery, two San Francisco surgeons said. A fibrocyst i s a glandular upset resulting i n the formation o f many cysts i n the breast o f women approaching change o f life. These cysts are sometimes associated with the replacement o f the normal gland tissue by firm fibrous tissue. A n exhibit presented at the opening of the clinical congress o f the American College of Surgeons stated that chronic cystic disease occurs predominantly i n women between 35 and 45 years o f age. The disease has three entities: mastoydynia, microcystic, and macrocystic. The microcystic type has the most serious connotation. When subcutaneous mastectomy i s indicated, the object is t o remove a l l o f the glands of the breast, leaving behind a viable skin brassiere and nipple, said the authors, Vincent R Pennisi, MD, FACS, and Angelo Caponi, MD, o f the St Francis Memorial Hospital, plastic and reconstructive surgery center. The remaining breast i s then reconstructed b y a prosthesis. Removal of the gland w i l l eliminate 95 t o 99 per cent o f a l l the diseased breast tissues.
"It must be strongly emphasized that this i s not a cosmetic procedure," said Dr Pennisi. "Although the breasts are adequately reconstructed, they d o not always look esthetically normal. However, i n the face o f breast cancer or a simple mastectomy, the breast reconstructed i n this manner is most adequate." Cancer of the breast is responsible for about 27,000 deaths each year i n the United Stater and five out o f every 100 women w i l l be afflicted b y it. Japanese women, on the other hand, have an extremely low rate o f breast cancer and fibrocystic disease is rare, Dr Pennisi said.
170
AORN Journal