BOOK REVIEWS
have prognostic value. If true, this study will have a major impact in the field. However, verification by larger studies that include multiple sites is needed. Timothy L. Ratliff, Ph.D.
BOOK REVIEWS Contemporary Trends in Laparoscopic Urologic Surgery A. K. HEMAL
AND
R. KUMAR, New York: Churchill Livingstone, Inc., 356 pages, 2002
Hemal has assembled a comprehensive textbook that covers a broad range of topics. Subjects are divided into sections related to basic laparoscopy and established techniques, including ablative and reconstructive applications. Several chapters are devoted to hand assisted urological techniques, and there is also a section covering emerging applications, including robotic surgery. Impressively this book, which was published in 2002, contains references from that same year. The breadth of covered subjects in this book is extensive and includes uncommon applications, such as laparoscopic treatment of chyluria and genitourinary fistula. There are occasional nice color plates in the text but some figures are of poor quality. The procedural chapters would be markedly augmented by drawn illustrations. As variability is inevitable with complications, biases and platitudes are sprinkled throughout. Some of the chapters are quite well written, including the outstanding introductory chapter, which gives a historical perspective of urological laparoscopic surgery. However, some chapters contain dated information (for example regarding incontinence) and personal limited viewpoints. In summary, this is a useful reference text that covers the gamut of urological laparoscopic surgery. The book may be of interest to beginners as well as individuals well grounded in laparoscopic techniques. Louis R. Kavoussi, M.D. James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions Baltimore, Maryland An Atlas of Uro-Oncology R. S. KIRBY, Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press, 96 pages, 2002 This beautifully illustrated atlas reviews the most commonly seen genitourinary malignancies. The photographs and drawings in this book would be a useful accompaniment to any lecture on genitourinary oncology. In addition, each chapter contains a brief but important list of references. This publication makes no effort to be exhaustive in either detail or references. Its value is in its extraordinary visual appeal. The chapter on molecular biology and the accompanying illustrations are particularly appealing. In summary, this atlas can serve as an important reference tool for students and residents in training. Robert R. Bahnson, M.D. Division of Urology Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio Adult and Pediatric Urology, vols. 1–3, 4th ed. J. Y. GILLENWATER, J. T. GRAYHACK, S. S. HOWARDS AND M. E. MITCHELL, Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2,760 pages, 2001 This latest edition of Adult and Pediatric Urology appears only 5 years after its predecessor. Gillenwater introduces this edition by emphasizing that the rapid growth of information in urology demands such frequent revisions to produce a reasonably current product. Two volumes of the text and 44 chapters are devoted to adult urology, and the third volume contains 12 chapters dealing with pediatric urology. There are 135 contributing authors, including the 4 editors. The chapters are generally arranged in logical sequence, with a few exceptions for some general topic chapters that did not have a logical fit. Each chapter begins with an index that clearly outlines the chapter, and a few chapters contain handy summary boxes. The chapters are generally well referenced, with contemporary and classic articles cited equally. Illustrations are not uniform, but are generally good and clearly presented. An exception is the surgical anatomy chapter (chapter 1), which has excellent illustrations, but the lack of labeling detracts from their usefulness. There is an expected overlap among many of the chapters but the repetition generally reinforces major points and is not distracting. Descriptive and illustrative material devoted to operative procedures varies considerably from chapter to chapter. Inaccurate references to tables and figures in the text, or references to nonexistent tables and figures occur frequently enough to be annoying. I particularly enjoyed several chapters that were especially well written and up-to-date, with excellent
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