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Ocular Therapeutics and Pharmacology
BOOK REVIEWS Edited by H. Stanley Thompson, M.D.
made some extensive revisions in this edition, totally rewriting some sections. There is an expanded area of adverse ocular effects from systemic medication, and updating of some of the local adverse effects from topical ocular medication. One of my favorite parts of this series has been the therapeutic agent section, which gives the action, ophthalmic use, adverse effects, preparation, and dosage of drugs used by ophthalmologists. This is a handy section, which I find useful in my practice. The only possible criticism of this book would be its brevity, and yet that is also one of its real beauties. The busy practitioner does not have the time to wade through a lot of data, and needs rapid answers. This book fulfills that need. This is also an excellent book to use as a review before taking oral or written board examinations because it covers the high points.
Retinal Detachment Surgery. By James J. Schutz. London, Chapman & Hall Ltd., 1984. 150 pages, index, illustrated. $29
Reviewed by THOMAS A. WEINGEIST Iowa City, Iowa This primer of retinal detachment surgery is packed with useful information. It is a practical guide that will interest residents in training and practicing ophthalmologists who perform only an occasional retinal reattachment procedure. The lists and tables throughout the text serve as useful summaries of information (signs and symptoms of retinal detachment complications, and the like). Considerable space is devoted to the preoperative and postoperative management of retinal detachment patients. The bibliography contains many useful references but none are cited in the text. The main strength of this book is also its chief weakness: the author offers only one approach to retinal detachment surgery. He confines himself to solid episcleral implants. There is no discussion, for example, of the advantages and disadvantages of intrascleral flaps or soft silicone sponges. Nevertheless, it is written with clarity by someone with a great deal of surgical experience and a talent for focusing on the essentials. It is an excellent book for beginners.
The Nd-YAG Laser in Ophthalmology. Principles and Clinical Applications of Photodisruption. By Robert F. Steinert and Carmen A. Puliafito. Philadelphia, W. B. Saunders, 1985. 154 pages, index, illustrated. $40
Reviewed by ROBERT 1. STAMPER San Francisco, California
Ocular Therapeutics and Pharmacology, 7th ed. By Philip P. Ellis. S1. Louis, C. V. Mosby, 1985. 362 pages, index, illustrated. $42.95
As the authors state in their preface, "This book is intended for the ophthalmologist who wishes to understand photodisruption and apply it therapeutically to the eye." The authors have certainly fulfilled their intentions. The first section is devoted to basic principles. After a brief review of the development of the laser in general and later photodisruption techniques, the authors explore the fundamentals of lasers, the physical principles of optical breakdown, laser-tissue interactions, and in-
Reviewed by F. T. FRAUNFELDER Portland, Oregon In this seventh edition Dr. Ellis has again done a remarkable job of "boiling it down." At a time when physicians are overwhelmed by the volume of data available, books such as this one will stand the test of time. The author has 495
made some extensive revisions in this edition, totally rewriting some sections. There is an expanded area of adverse ocular effects from systemic medication, and updating of some of the local adverse effects from topical ocular medication. One of my favorite parts of this series has been the therapeutic agent section, which gives the action, ophthalmic use, adverse effects, preparation, and dosage of drugs used by ophthalmologists. This is a handy section, which I find useful in my practice. The only possible criticism of this book would be its brevity, and yet that is also one of its real beauties. The busy practitioner does not have the time to wade through a lot of data, and needs rapid answers. This book fulfills that need. This is also an excellent book to use as a review before taking oral or written board examinations because it covers the high points.
Retinal Detachment Surgery. By James J. Schutz. London, Chapman & Hall Ltd., 1984. 150 pages, index, illustrated. $29
Reviewed by THOMAS A. WEINGEIST Iowa City, Iowa This primer of retinal detachment surgery is packed with useful information. It is a practical guide that will interest residents in training and practicing ophthalmologists who perform only an occasional retinal reattachment procedure. The lists and tables throughout the text serve as useful summaries of information (signs and symptoms of retinal detachment complications, and the like). Considerable space is devoted to the preoperative and postoperative management of retinal detachment patients. The bibliography contains many useful references but none are cited in the text. The main strength of this book is also its chief weakness: the author offers only one approach to retinal detachment surgery. He confines himself to solid episcleral implants. There is no discussion, for example, of the advantages and disadvantages of intrascleral flaps or soft silicone sponges. Nevertheless, it is written with clarity by someone with a great deal of surgical experience and a talent for focusing on the essentials. It is an excellent book for beginners.
The Nd-YAG Laser in Ophthalmology. Principles and Clinical Applications of Photodisruption. By Robert F. Steinert and Carmen A. Puliafito. Philadelphia, W. B. Saunders, 1985. 154 pages, index, illustrated. $40
Reviewed by ROBERT 1. STAMPER San Francisco, California
Ocular Therapeutics and Pharmacology, 7th ed. By Philip P. Ellis. S1. Louis, C. V. Mosby, 1985. 362 pages, index, illustrated. $42.95
As the authors state in their preface, "This book is intended for the ophthalmologist who wishes to understand photodisruption and apply it therapeutically to the eye." The authors have certainly fulfilled their intentions. The first section is devoted to basic principles. After a brief review of the development of the laser in general and later photodisruption techniques, the authors explore the fundamentals of lasers, the physical principles of optical breakdown, laser-tissue interactions, and in-
Reviewed by F. T. FRAUNFELDER Portland, Oregon In this seventh edition Dr. Ellis has again done a remarkable job of "boiling it down." At a time when physicians are overwhelmed by the volume of data available, books such as this one will stand the test of time. The author has 495