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Complications in surgery and trauma
298
Surg N c u r o l 1990; ~ 3 : 2 9 8 - 299
Book Reviews
Complications in Surgery and Trauma. Edited by Lazar J. Greenfield. 2nd editi(m. 981 pages. $95.00. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co., 1990. This text is designed to serve as a refi..rence s()urtc that addresses the c o m m o n compli~ati()ns in the broadest context of surgery. T h e 7 1 c h a p t e r s are very well organized into 10 sections that c o v e r all surgical disciplines: w{)und healing, plastic surgery, systemic complications, thoracic surgery, cardiovascular surgery, alimentary tract surgery,, cnd()crmc surgery', nct, rosurgery,, g e n i t o u r i n a r y surgery, and surgery ()f the l]lUSCUlOskeletal system. T h e tinal section, serving as a quick reference, is organized as a large table of c()mm(m surglc al pr()blems, their t r e a t m e n t , and associated mortality and m()rbidily rates. T h e authors are well k n o w n in their fichls and, in general, accomplish the difticult task of c o v e r i n g their broad n)pics wilh surprising depth. This is achieved largely' by avoiding a review of the basic pa~hophysiology and a n a t o m y of the topic, e x c e p t as they directly relate to potential complicati()ns ()r t h e i r {rcatment. T h e tcxl is well illustrated and indexed, and each c h a p t e r comains extensive references. A l t h o u g h t r a u m a receives equal billing in the book's title, it is only an a d d e n d u m in many chapters. This b o o k will serve as a valuable r e f e r e n c e for residents and s u r g e o n s caring fi)r panients with multisystcm diseases or injury. It should be a part of most surgical libraries, and 1 am sure it will be a part of many law libraries. This b o o k will be of interest to n e u r o s u r g e o n s , particularly those w h o are seeing multiple t r a u m a cases day after day.
including many' with multiple authors. As J. D. Miller has indicated, b e f o r e we are overly confident in o u r m e t h o d s , we should seriously pose these questions: t t o w shouht we measure ICP? W h a t e v i d e n c e is there that m o n i t o r i n g and control of raised ICP affects the o u t c o m e of severe head injury, or any' o t h e r condition in which ICP m o n i t o r i n g is c o m m o n l y carried out? At this S e v e n t h International ICP S y m p o s i u m in 1988, 16 years after the First S y m p o s i u m in H a n o v e r , we must admit t h a t w e still do not have the final answer to these t w o simple questions. T h a t should stop us from b e c o m ing too self-congratulatory, for a n o t h e r 3 years at least. A n u m b e r of issues remain i m p o r t a n t in the clinical area, particularly as they relate to head injury. T h e s e are the choice of m e t h o d s for m e a s u r i n g ICP, the p r e v a l e n c e of raised ICP requiring action, the c o m m o n causes of raised ICP and how they may' be distinguished at the bedside, and lastly' the c o n c e p t of specitic ICP therapy targeted at the cause (p. 5). T h e a r g u m e n t in favour of ICP m o n i t o r i n g p r o b a b l y has to be intellectual r a t h e r than practical. Only by continuing the practice o f intracranial p r e s s u r e m o n i t o r i n g can we c o n t i n u e to learn a b o u t the p a t h o p h y s i o l o g y of the conditions we arc trying to treat, and h o w changes in intracranial pressure interrelate to alterations in cerebral energy supply', brain elcctricai status and the processes of therapy' and recovery in o u r patients (p. 13). This t h e m e of the c o n f e r e n c e written b y J . D. IVliller could not have b e e n d o n e with m o r e c a n d o r and elegance.
J. W A Y N E M E R E D I T H , M.D. W i n s t o n - S a l e m , N o r t h Carolina
E B E N A L E X A N D E R , Jr., M . D . W i n s t o n - S a l e m , N o r t h Carolina
Intracranial Pressure VII. Edited by J. T. H o f f and A. L. Betz. 1045 pages. $202.30. Berlin: Springer, 1989. ( V o l u m e VII is being reviewed at the request of the publisher, although v o l u m e Vl was not sent to this journal for review).
Complications of Spine Surgery. E d i t e d by S t c v c n R. G a r f i n . 3 9 9 p a g e s , i l l u s t r a t i o n s . $7~.95. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins, 1989.
It is a r e m a r k a b l e a c c o m p l i s h m e n t that the p u b l i s h e r and the advisory b o a r d can m o u n t such international c o n f e r e n c e s as this and publish the results in a year. It would be impossible to review e v e n a small n u m b e r of the o v e r 200 short scientific articles; they are well indexed, '~" 1990 by Elsevlc'r St fence Publishing (Lo, Inc
This m u h i a u t h o r e d text has been ~()llatcd to p r c s c m an overview of the u n f o r e s e e a b l e and t, ndesirable events that are often associated with surgery ()n the spine. T h e e d i t o r ~)1 this v o l u m e on complications ()f spinal surgery is an o r t h o p e d i c surgc()n e x p e r i e n c e d in the surgery of spinal disorders. [-]c has assembled a g r o u p of experts, largely ()rth()pedi( surgeons, w h o are generally considered well qualitied [() write m their assigned chapters m the field of spinal surgery. A l t h o u g h this m o n o OOg(l "~019,'90/$ ~,.50
Surg N c u r o l 1990; ~ 3 : 2 9 8 - 299
Book Reviews
Complications in Surgery and Trauma. Edited by Lazar J. Greenfield. 2nd editi(m. 981 pages. $95.00. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co., 1990. This text is designed to serve as a refi..rence s()urtc that addresses the c o m m o n compli~ati()ns in the broadest context of surgery. T h e 7 1 c h a p t e r s are very well organized into 10 sections that c o v e r all surgical disciplines: w{)und healing, plastic surgery, systemic complications, thoracic surgery, cardiovascular surgery, alimentary tract surgery,, cnd()crmc surgery', nct, rosurgery,, g e n i t o u r i n a r y surgery, and surgery ()f the l]lUSCUlOskeletal system. T h e tinal section, serving as a quick reference, is organized as a large table of c()mm(m surglc al pr()blems, their t r e a t m e n t , and associated mortality and m()rbidily rates. T h e authors are well k n o w n in their fichls and, in general, accomplish the difticult task of c o v e r i n g their broad n)pics wilh surprising depth. This is achieved largely' by avoiding a review of the basic pa~hophysiology and a n a t o m y of the topic, e x c e p t as they directly relate to potential complicati()ns ()r t h e i r {rcatment. T h e tcxl is well illustrated and indexed, and each c h a p t e r comains extensive references. A l t h o u g h t r a u m a receives equal billing in the book's title, it is only an a d d e n d u m in many chapters. This b o o k will serve as a valuable r e f e r e n c e for residents and s u r g e o n s caring fi)r panients with multisystcm diseases or injury. It should be a part of most surgical libraries, and 1 am sure it will be a part of many law libraries. This b o o k will be of interest to n e u r o s u r g e o n s , particularly those w h o are seeing multiple t r a u m a cases day after day.
including many' with multiple authors. As J. D. Miller has indicated, b e f o r e we are overly confident in o u r m e t h o d s , we should seriously pose these questions: t t o w shouht we measure ICP? W h a t e v i d e n c e is there that m o n i t o r i n g and control of raised ICP affects the o u t c o m e of severe head injury, or any' o t h e r condition in which ICP m o n i t o r i n g is c o m m o n l y carried out? At this S e v e n t h International ICP S y m p o s i u m in 1988, 16 years after the First S y m p o s i u m in H a n o v e r , we must admit t h a t w e still do not have the final answer to these t w o simple questions. T h a t should stop us from b e c o m ing too self-congratulatory, for a n o t h e r 3 years at least. A n u m b e r of issues remain i m p o r t a n t in the clinical area, particularly as they relate to head injury. T h e s e are the choice of m e t h o d s for m e a s u r i n g ICP, the p r e v a l e n c e of raised ICP requiring action, the c o m m o n causes of raised ICP and how they may' be distinguished at the bedside, and lastly' the c o n c e p t of specitic ICP therapy targeted at the cause (p. 5). T h e a r g u m e n t in favour of ICP m o n i t o r i n g p r o b a b l y has to be intellectual r a t h e r than practical. Only by continuing the practice o f intracranial p r e s s u r e m o n i t o r i n g can we c o n t i n u e to learn a b o u t the p a t h o p h y s i o l o g y of the conditions we arc trying to treat, and h o w changes in intracranial pressure interrelate to alterations in cerebral energy supply', brain elcctricai status and the processes of therapy' and recovery in o u r patients (p. 13). This t h e m e of the c o n f e r e n c e written b y J . D. IVliller could not have b e e n d o n e with m o r e c a n d o r and elegance.
J. W A Y N E M E R E D I T H , M.D. W i n s t o n - S a l e m , N o r t h Carolina
E B E N A L E X A N D E R , Jr., M . D . W i n s t o n - S a l e m , N o r t h Carolina
Intracranial Pressure VII. Edited by J. T. H o f f and A. L. Betz. 1045 pages. $202.30. Berlin: Springer, 1989. ( V o l u m e VII is being reviewed at the request of the publisher, although v o l u m e Vl was not sent to this journal for review).
Complications of Spine Surgery. E d i t e d by S t c v c n R. G a r f i n . 3 9 9 p a g e s , i l l u s t r a t i o n s . $7~.95. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins, 1989.
It is a r e m a r k a b l e a c c o m p l i s h m e n t that the p u b l i s h e r and the advisory b o a r d can m o u n t such international c o n f e r e n c e s as this and publish the results in a year. It would be impossible to review e v e n a small n u m b e r of the o v e r 200 short scientific articles; they are well indexed, '~" 1990 by Elsevlc'r St fence Publishing (Lo, Inc
This m u h i a u t h o r e d text has been ~()llatcd to p r c s c m an overview of the u n f o r e s e e a b l e and t, ndesirable events that are often associated with surgery ()n the spine. T h e e d i t o r ~)1 this v o l u m e on complications ()f spinal surgery is an o r t h o p e d i c surgc()n e x p e r i e n c e d in the surgery of spinal disorders. [-]c has assembled a g r o u p of experts, largely ()rth()pedi( surgeons, w h o are generally considered well qualitied [() write m their assigned chapters m the field of spinal surgery. A l t h o u g h this m o n o OOg(l "~019,'90/$ ~,.50