- Email: [email protected]
Notes on our reviewers
235
BOOK REVIEWS
Oral and Ma~cillo-Faeial Surgery. E d i t e d by D a n i e l M. Laskin, M D . First E d i t i o n . Pp. 736 with 714 illustrations in black a n d white a n d colour. (St Louis, T o r o n t o , L o n d o n : C. V. M o s b y C o m p a n y , 1980.) Price £49.75. This is the first volume of three which are being written as successors to the two volumes of Thoma's Oral Surgery--a daunting task for any author--which Laskin has dealt with by inviting contributors to write chapters in their special fields. This first volume contains twenty-one chapters--one of which is written by Laskin himself. The book is concerned with the Bio-medical and Clinical basis for Surgical Practice. The author has given free rein to the contributors so that clinical laboratory diagnosis occupies thirteen pages and radioisotope diagnosis occupies eightythree pages: perhaps this is a sign of the times. General anaesthesia is covered in thirty-;three pages and, of necessity, only in basic outline. On these grounds one wonders whether the chapter would have been better left out and one cannot help feeling that it was inserted to preserve an encyclopaedic completeness because Thoma h?mself had a chapter on the subject. The book gathers together a wealth of useful references and a number are British. The chapter on biomaterials is very informatiw.-, particularly on alloplastic materials, as one would expect from one of the world's experts. A common problem with text books is their inability to produce an up-to-date picture in fast developing subjects: for instance, no mention is made of the probable significance of HbeAg in assessing the infectivity of a virus B carrier, or the possible induction of cardiac a~rrhythmias by fluothane in a patient who is under treatment with fenfluramine: both being important points in clinical practice. As in the last edition of Thoma, the chapter on surgical anatomy is beautifully illustrated with Netter's paintings. Students and junior staff will find this book valuable for reference, as will most oral surgeons and I have no doubt that it will be as successful as its predecessor. The chapter on general principles and techniques of surgery should be read by all trainees and that on immunobiology is an impressive review of the subject, compressed into forty pages--a suitable introduction for Fellowship candidates. I look forward to Volumes II and I11 which will cover Oral Surgery and Maxillo-facial Surgery respectively. Much will depend on the attthors chosen, but 1,400 pages will give tremendous scope. J. W. ROSS M a n a g e m e n t of Peripheral Nerve Prol~lems. By G e o r g e E. O m e r , Jr, M D a n d M o r t o n Spinner, M D . F i r s t Edition. Pp. x x v i i + 1034, with n u m e r o u s illustrations. ( P h i l a d e l p h i a : W. B. S a u n d e r s C o m p a n y , 1980.) Price £37.25. The prospect of reviewing such a large volume is daunting. Its size alone makes one wonder if it is absolutely necessary to read all of the thousand pages. The fact that it contains contributions from more than sixty experts, largely from North America, is even more worrying. So often the repetition this inevitably produces leads to boredom. Not so with this encyclopaedic work. Some sections do cover similar ground but this is generally useful and complementary and often gives a different point of view which is of practical value. One could also be excused for wondering whether the
tomes of Seddon and Sutherland o,a the same subject are not enough. There are so many books appearing lately and costs continue to rise. At first sight it might be fair to assume that the ground has all been covered recently. Again this volume can stand up to this criticism. It is both a very useful practical guide for all those dealing with a large variety of nerve problems, as well as containing much wduable background material which ensures its place as a volume for repeated reference on less common topics. It also contains detailed descriptions of all the latest techniques of nerve repair. In places the text is hard to read and the American English and spelling can be indigestible. In one section it is easy to constantly be diverted from the text by an urge to count the number of split infinitives that appear. Other chapters are a pleasure to read. The difference often relates to the subject matter and for example although the large section on all aspects of pain is very important this may be less interesting to the plastic surgeon who will find all the chapters on anatomical exposure and suturing technique more hmfiliar and easier to assimilate. These practical parts are only two of the eight sections into which the book is sensibly divided. Apart from the section on pain already mentioned the others cover diagnostic techniques, different types of trauma including compression, a special section dealing with nerve tumours and various types of neuritis, rehabilitation and finally a collection of chapters on experimental aspects. There is something for everybody and the surgeon will find the practical sections useful. The chapters on rehabilitation also include details of secondary surgery for late nerve lesions as well as all other aspects of retraining. The ewduation of results following nerve repair is well covered and contains a valuable review of this very difficult topic. It is sad that I could find no mention of the Renfrew depth-sense aesthesiometer which some surgeons here have found useful. The book is well illustrated with black and white photographs, drawings and line diagrams. The quality of the photographs is generally good and they complement the text well but in places this is not always the case. For example the chapter on the nerves of the head and neck contain some photographs which are smaU. highly magnified and blurred. This may make them very difficult to interpret and they add so little to the text that they might have been omitted without loss. The drawings and diagrams are all good blat those of H. Thomas are worth special mention. They not only illustrate the various written points with simplicity and accuracy but they are also ve'ry attractive works of art. He has also designed the fascinating logo on the book cover which depict the various aspects of the work. Finally, by present day standards the price is reasonable considering the book's size and those who are involved in all aspects of peripheral nerve work will find this volume a worthwhile addition to their library. P. J. SYKES
N o t e s on our R e v i e w e r s
David
M. Evans, FRCS, Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Wexham Park Hospital, Slough. L. E. Hughes, FRACS, FRCS, Professor of Surgery, University Department of Surgery, Welsh National School of Medicine, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff.
236 D. A. McGrouther, FRCS, Consultarfl Plastic Surgeon, Glasgow and West of Scotland Plastic Surgery Service. Canniesburn Hospital, Glasgow. F'ormerly Consultant Plastic Surgeon. Shotley Bridge General Hospital. D. O. Maisels, FRCS, FRCS (Ed), Consuhant Plastic Surgeon to the Liverpool United Hospitals and the Regional Plastic Surgery Centre, Whiston Hospital. Pl'escol.
Notices The Fourth East Grinstcad Study Course in Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery East Grinstead, 20--23 September 1981.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF PLAS".IC SL,,GERY
I. F. K. Muir, MBE, MS, FRCS, Consuhant Plastic Surgeon and Senior Clinical Lecturer in Surgery, University of Aberdeen. J. W. Ross, LDS, VU, FI)S, RCS, Consuhant Oral Surge,,~l. Uuiversity of Bristol Dental Hospital and the Dcpartm, ~t o1' Oral Surgery, Frenchay Hospital. Bristol. P. J. Sykt.,s, MA, FRCS, Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Welsh Regional Plastic Surgery Centre, SILt, wrence Hospital. Chepstow. Gwent. obtained from David W. Furnas. MD. Division of Plastic Sttrgery. University of California, lrvinc: irvine. California 92717. Advanced Course in ltand Surgery
Aspects of Tratlnla
Windsor, 30 April and 1 May 1981.
The fourth East Grinstead Study Course in Plastic and Maxillofacial surgery will bc held at the Queen Victoria Hospit,'tl, East Grinstead. in September. 1981. Plastic and nlaxillofaci:tl aspects of trauma wilt bc considered, excluding thermal injury. Topics will include facial and limb injt, rics.
The above course will include one full day on the arthritic hand and on the second day there will be papers for discussion on microsurger7, Dupuytren's contracture, post traumatic dystrophy and post
Further details are available from Mr J. P. Bennett, FRCS, Study Course Organiser, The Queen Vicloria Hospital, East Grinstead, W. Sussex, RH 19 3DZ. Combined meeting of the Austrian Society of Plastic Surgery, the Swiss Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the Association of German Plastic Surgeons and the German-Speaking Society for Microsurgery of Peripheral Nerves and Vessels lnnsbruck. Austria 23-26 September 1981. The scientific programme of this meeting organised by the Austrian Society of Plastic Surgery tPresident Prof. Dr Hans Anderll will include a session of the Microsurgical Group on the opening day and discussion of the latest developments in microsurgcry and plastic surgery. Other sessions will be devoted to congenital deformities of the extremities and trunk: congcnita! deformities of the face and craniunl: rhinoplasty and frec papers. The olTicial languages of the Congrc.,,.,, will he German, French and English with simultancotts translation. A social programme will also be arranged. Further information available from the Congress Office: "Gemeinsamc Jahrestagung", Univ. Klinik fiir Plaslische Chirurgie, A-6020 Innsbruck. AnichstraBe 35, Austria. Clinical Frontiers in Reconstructive Microsurgery Anaheim, California 25-28 June 1981. An International Symposium sponsored by the Educational Foundation of the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons in co-operation with the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, will be held in Anaheim, California. Co-chairmen for this symposium will be Harry J. Buncke. Jr, MD and David W. Furnas. MD. Further information can be
traumatic reconstruction.
For further details please write to Stewart H. Harrison, FRCS, 1 Dorset Road, Windsor, Berks. SL4 3BA. Fello~v in Microsurgery to tile Plastic Surgery Unit Royal Melbourne Hospital The Royal Melbourne Hospital invites applications from legally qualified Medical Practitioners for appointment to the above salaried position. This newly created position is designed for a recently qualified Plastic Surgeon or advanced trainee in Plastic Surgery preferably with some microsurgery experience. Duties include experimental basic research in the animal laboratory a,ld the Department of Anatot.nical Pathology. Clinical work in microsurgcry will have emphasis on trauma and head and neck surgery and the fellow will attend all unit activities. The appointment will be for a period of 12 months commencing Ist July 1 9 8 1 . Salary will be commensurate with the successful candidate's qualification and experience, Application forms are obtainable from the Director of Medical Services at The Royal Melbourne Hospital, C/--R.M.H. Post Office, Victoria 3050, and should include curriculum vitae and the names of two referees. Soci~t~ Beige De Chirurgie Plastiqne Antwerp, 13 June 1981 The Spring meeting of the Belgian Society of Plastic Surgery will be held at the University of Antwerp on 13 June 1981 under the presidency of Dr J. Vrebos, MD. Colleagues who are in Belgium at that time will be welcome to come to the meeting as guests of our Society. Further information available from the President, Dr J. Vrebos, MD, 17, Place G. d'Arezzo, Brussels 1060 or the Secretary, Dr E. Van Calster, MD, de Selliers de Moranville laan, :C,20 Bonheiden.
BOOK REVIEWS
Oral and Ma~cillo-Faeial Surgery. E d i t e d by D a n i e l M. Laskin, M D . First E d i t i o n . Pp. 736 with 714 illustrations in black a n d white a n d colour. (St Louis, T o r o n t o , L o n d o n : C. V. M o s b y C o m p a n y , 1980.) Price £49.75. This is the first volume of three which are being written as successors to the two volumes of Thoma's Oral Surgery--a daunting task for any author--which Laskin has dealt with by inviting contributors to write chapters in their special fields. This first volume contains twenty-one chapters--one of which is written by Laskin himself. The book is concerned with the Bio-medical and Clinical basis for Surgical Practice. The author has given free rein to the contributors so that clinical laboratory diagnosis occupies thirteen pages and radioisotope diagnosis occupies eightythree pages: perhaps this is a sign of the times. General anaesthesia is covered in thirty-;three pages and, of necessity, only in basic outline. On these grounds one wonders whether the chapter would have been better left out and one cannot help feeling that it was inserted to preserve an encyclopaedic completeness because Thoma h?mself had a chapter on the subject. The book gathers together a wealth of useful references and a number are British. The chapter on biomaterials is very informatiw.-, particularly on alloplastic materials, as one would expect from one of the world's experts. A common problem with text books is their inability to produce an up-to-date picture in fast developing subjects: for instance, no mention is made of the probable significance of HbeAg in assessing the infectivity of a virus B carrier, or the possible induction of cardiac a~rrhythmias by fluothane in a patient who is under treatment with fenfluramine: both being important points in clinical practice. As in the last edition of Thoma, the chapter on surgical anatomy is beautifully illustrated with Netter's paintings. Students and junior staff will find this book valuable for reference, as will most oral surgeons and I have no doubt that it will be as successful as its predecessor. The chapter on general principles and techniques of surgery should be read by all trainees and that on immunobiology is an impressive review of the subject, compressed into forty pages--a suitable introduction for Fellowship candidates. I look forward to Volumes II and I11 which will cover Oral Surgery and Maxillo-facial Surgery respectively. Much will depend on the attthors chosen, but 1,400 pages will give tremendous scope. J. W. ROSS M a n a g e m e n t of Peripheral Nerve Prol~lems. By G e o r g e E. O m e r , Jr, M D a n d M o r t o n Spinner, M D . F i r s t Edition. Pp. x x v i i + 1034, with n u m e r o u s illustrations. ( P h i l a d e l p h i a : W. B. S a u n d e r s C o m p a n y , 1980.) Price £37.25. The prospect of reviewing such a large volume is daunting. Its size alone makes one wonder if it is absolutely necessary to read all of the thousand pages. The fact that it contains contributions from more than sixty experts, largely from North America, is even more worrying. So often the repetition this inevitably produces leads to boredom. Not so with this encyclopaedic work. Some sections do cover similar ground but this is generally useful and complementary and often gives a different point of view which is of practical value. One could also be excused for wondering whether the
tomes of Seddon and Sutherland o,a the same subject are not enough. There are so many books appearing lately and costs continue to rise. At first sight it might be fair to assume that the ground has all been covered recently. Again this volume can stand up to this criticism. It is both a very useful practical guide for all those dealing with a large variety of nerve problems, as well as containing much wduable background material which ensures its place as a volume for repeated reference on less common topics. It also contains detailed descriptions of all the latest techniques of nerve repair. In places the text is hard to read and the American English and spelling can be indigestible. In one section it is easy to constantly be diverted from the text by an urge to count the number of split infinitives that appear. Other chapters are a pleasure to read. The difference often relates to the subject matter and for example although the large section on all aspects of pain is very important this may be less interesting to the plastic surgeon who will find all the chapters on anatomical exposure and suturing technique more hmfiliar and easier to assimilate. These practical parts are only two of the eight sections into which the book is sensibly divided. Apart from the section on pain already mentioned the others cover diagnostic techniques, different types of trauma including compression, a special section dealing with nerve tumours and various types of neuritis, rehabilitation and finally a collection of chapters on experimental aspects. There is something for everybody and the surgeon will find the practical sections useful. The chapters on rehabilitation also include details of secondary surgery for late nerve lesions as well as all other aspects of retraining. The ewduation of results following nerve repair is well covered and contains a valuable review of this very difficult topic. It is sad that I could find no mention of the Renfrew depth-sense aesthesiometer which some surgeons here have found useful. The book is well illustrated with black and white photographs, drawings and line diagrams. The quality of the photographs is generally good and they complement the text well but in places this is not always the case. For example the chapter on the nerves of the head and neck contain some photographs which are smaU. highly magnified and blurred. This may make them very difficult to interpret and they add so little to the text that they might have been omitted without loss. The drawings and diagrams are all good blat those of H. Thomas are worth special mention. They not only illustrate the various written points with simplicity and accuracy but they are also ve'ry attractive works of art. He has also designed the fascinating logo on the book cover which depict the various aspects of the work. Finally, by present day standards the price is reasonable considering the book's size and those who are involved in all aspects of peripheral nerve work will find this volume a worthwhile addition to their library. P. J. SYKES
N o t e s on our R e v i e w e r s
David
M. Evans, FRCS, Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Wexham Park Hospital, Slough. L. E. Hughes, FRACS, FRCS, Professor of Surgery, University Department of Surgery, Welsh National School of Medicine, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff.
236 D. A. McGrouther, FRCS, Consultarfl Plastic Surgeon, Glasgow and West of Scotland Plastic Surgery Service. Canniesburn Hospital, Glasgow. F'ormerly Consultant Plastic Surgeon. Shotley Bridge General Hospital. D. O. Maisels, FRCS, FRCS (Ed), Consuhant Plastic Surgeon to the Liverpool United Hospitals and the Regional Plastic Surgery Centre, Whiston Hospital. Pl'escol.
Notices The Fourth East Grinstcad Study Course in Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery East Grinstead, 20--23 September 1981.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF PLAS".IC SL,,GERY
I. F. K. Muir, MBE, MS, FRCS, Consuhant Plastic Surgeon and Senior Clinical Lecturer in Surgery, University of Aberdeen. J. W. Ross, LDS, VU, FI)S, RCS, Consuhant Oral Surge,,~l. Uuiversity of Bristol Dental Hospital and the Dcpartm, ~t o1' Oral Surgery, Frenchay Hospital. Bristol. P. J. Sykt.,s, MA, FRCS, Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Welsh Regional Plastic Surgery Centre, SILt, wrence Hospital. Chepstow. Gwent. obtained from David W. Furnas. MD. Division of Plastic Sttrgery. University of California, lrvinc: irvine. California 92717. Advanced Course in ltand Surgery
Aspects of Tratlnla
Windsor, 30 April and 1 May 1981.
The fourth East Grinstead Study Course in Plastic and Maxillofacial surgery will bc held at the Queen Victoria Hospit,'tl, East Grinstead. in September. 1981. Plastic and nlaxillofaci:tl aspects of trauma wilt bc considered, excluding thermal injury. Topics will include facial and limb injt, rics.
The above course will include one full day on the arthritic hand and on the second day there will be papers for discussion on microsurger7, Dupuytren's contracture, post traumatic dystrophy and post
Further details are available from Mr J. P. Bennett, FRCS, Study Course Organiser, The Queen Vicloria Hospital, East Grinstead, W. Sussex, RH 19 3DZ. Combined meeting of the Austrian Society of Plastic Surgery, the Swiss Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the Association of German Plastic Surgeons and the German-Speaking Society for Microsurgery of Peripheral Nerves and Vessels lnnsbruck. Austria 23-26 September 1981. The scientific programme of this meeting organised by the Austrian Society of Plastic Surgery tPresident Prof. Dr Hans Anderll will include a session of the Microsurgical Group on the opening day and discussion of the latest developments in microsurgcry and plastic surgery. Other sessions will be devoted to congenital deformities of the extremities and trunk: congcnita! deformities of the face and craniunl: rhinoplasty and frec papers. The olTicial languages of the Congrc.,,.,, will he German, French and English with simultancotts translation. A social programme will also be arranged. Further information available from the Congress Office: "Gemeinsamc Jahrestagung", Univ. Klinik fiir Plaslische Chirurgie, A-6020 Innsbruck. AnichstraBe 35, Austria. Clinical Frontiers in Reconstructive Microsurgery Anaheim, California 25-28 June 1981. An International Symposium sponsored by the Educational Foundation of the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons in co-operation with the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, will be held in Anaheim, California. Co-chairmen for this symposium will be Harry J. Buncke. Jr, MD and David W. Furnas. MD. Further information can be
traumatic reconstruction.
For further details please write to Stewart H. Harrison, FRCS, 1 Dorset Road, Windsor, Berks. SL4 3BA. Fello~v in Microsurgery to tile Plastic Surgery Unit Royal Melbourne Hospital The Royal Melbourne Hospital invites applications from legally qualified Medical Practitioners for appointment to the above salaried position. This newly created position is designed for a recently qualified Plastic Surgeon or advanced trainee in Plastic Surgery preferably with some microsurgery experience. Duties include experimental basic research in the animal laboratory a,ld the Department of Anatot.nical Pathology. Clinical work in microsurgcry will have emphasis on trauma and head and neck surgery and the fellow will attend all unit activities. The appointment will be for a period of 12 months commencing Ist July 1 9 8 1 . Salary will be commensurate with the successful candidate's qualification and experience, Application forms are obtainable from the Director of Medical Services at The Royal Melbourne Hospital, C/--R.M.H. Post Office, Victoria 3050, and should include curriculum vitae and the names of two referees. Soci~t~ Beige De Chirurgie Plastiqne Antwerp, 13 June 1981 The Spring meeting of the Belgian Society of Plastic Surgery will be held at the University of Antwerp on 13 June 1981 under the presidency of Dr J. Vrebos, MD. Colleagues who are in Belgium at that time will be welcome to come to the meeting as guests of our Society. Further information available from the President, Dr J. Vrebos, MD, 17, Place G. d'Arezzo, Brussels 1060 or the Secretary, Dr E. Van Calster, MD, de Selliers de Moranville laan, :C,20 Bonheiden.