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Cardiology Update: Reviews for Physicians
102 The Annals of Thoracic Surgery Vol30 No 1 July 1980
The last chapter, entitled ”The Economics of Bypass Surgery,” is an attempt to wrestle with the problems of the high cost to society of both the disease and the treatment. The difficulties of a costeffective analysis of the operation are presented clearly. The author also points out the rather profound effects this type of operation has had on other fields of medicine, such as exercise cardiology, laboratory detection of myocardial damage, and cardiac epidemiology. The book is a gem, and I recommend it to all who are interested in any aspects of coronary artery disease. Because of its extensive review of the literature, it is a handy first place to look when one is preparing a report regarding coronary artery disease or surgery and needs to obtain proper background information.
Los Angela, C A
Cardiology Update: Reviews for Physicians
Edited by Elliot Rapaport, M . D . New York, Elsevier North Holland, 2979 364 p p , illustrated, $24.95 Reviewed by Robert B . K a r p , M . D . Cardiology Update 2979 is the first volume of a series of annual publications intended for generalists and specialists as a review of specific cardiological and cardiac surgical areas. In the first two chapters, Popp and associates present a nice ”primer” on echocardiography. They use particularly clear illustrations of frequently encountered conditions and discuss both M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiography in a lucid fashion. Four excellent chapters deal with the
use of radionuclides for cardiac diagnosis. The editors chose acknowledged experts to write about gated cardiac pool imaging, radionuclide exercise angiography, myocardial imaging, and evaluation of cardiac output in pulmonary disease. A further chapter offers a nice twist by taking a ”vertical cut” of the chapters preceding and offering an insight into the modalities for obtaining noninvasive assessment of left ventricular performance. Newer aspects of electrophysiology are covered in the next three chapters, which are informative by and large. However, the reader might wonder whether the surgical treatment of supraventricular reentrant tachycardia could not have been explored further. In a discussion of treatment of unstable angina, Kouchoukos gives a reasoned exposition of the combined initial medical and delayed surgical approach used at the University of Alabama. The next chapter, on xenografts, is excellent as far as it goes. However, more tabular and actuarial data (alluded to but not included) pertaining to Ries’s experience with the durability of, hydraulic performance of, and thromboembolic events with xenografts could have been provided. The final three chapters contain important information for quick reference on intraaortic balloon assist, workup of hypertension, and newer modalities in the medical treatment of hypertension. This volume is an excellent reference for generalists and housestaff and for individuals needing ready access to information not directly in their own field of endeavor. With few exceptions, the book is free from editorial and typographical errors and is arranged in a pleasing format. It is to be hoped that the subsequent annuals will be as good.
Birmingham, AL
The last chapter, entitled ”The Economics of Bypass Surgery,” is an attempt to wrestle with the problems of the high cost to society of both the disease and the treatment. The difficulties of a costeffective analysis of the operation are presented clearly. The author also points out the rather profound effects this type of operation has had on other fields of medicine, such as exercise cardiology, laboratory detection of myocardial damage, and cardiac epidemiology. The book is a gem, and I recommend it to all who are interested in any aspects of coronary artery disease. Because of its extensive review of the literature, it is a handy first place to look when one is preparing a report regarding coronary artery disease or surgery and needs to obtain proper background information.
Los Angela, C A
Cardiology Update: Reviews for Physicians
Edited by Elliot Rapaport, M . D . New York, Elsevier North Holland, 2979 364 p p , illustrated, $24.95 Reviewed by Robert B . K a r p , M . D . Cardiology Update 2979 is the first volume of a series of annual publications intended for generalists and specialists as a review of specific cardiological and cardiac surgical areas. In the first two chapters, Popp and associates present a nice ”primer” on echocardiography. They use particularly clear illustrations of frequently encountered conditions and discuss both M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiography in a lucid fashion. Four excellent chapters deal with the
use of radionuclides for cardiac diagnosis. The editors chose acknowledged experts to write about gated cardiac pool imaging, radionuclide exercise angiography, myocardial imaging, and evaluation of cardiac output in pulmonary disease. A further chapter offers a nice twist by taking a ”vertical cut” of the chapters preceding and offering an insight into the modalities for obtaining noninvasive assessment of left ventricular performance. Newer aspects of electrophysiology are covered in the next three chapters, which are informative by and large. However, the reader might wonder whether the surgical treatment of supraventricular reentrant tachycardia could not have been explored further. In a discussion of treatment of unstable angina, Kouchoukos gives a reasoned exposition of the combined initial medical and delayed surgical approach used at the University of Alabama. The next chapter, on xenografts, is excellent as far as it goes. However, more tabular and actuarial data (alluded to but not included) pertaining to Ries’s experience with the durability of, hydraulic performance of, and thromboembolic events with xenografts could have been provided. The final three chapters contain important information for quick reference on intraaortic balloon assist, workup of hypertension, and newer modalities in the medical treatment of hypertension. This volume is an excellent reference for generalists and housestaff and for individuals needing ready access to information not directly in their own field of endeavor. With few exceptions, the book is free from editorial and typographical errors and is arranged in a pleasing format. It is to be hoped that the subsequent annuals will be as good.
Birmingham, AL