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Stable internal fixation in maxillofacial bone surgery
146
BRITISH
As all but four of the 30 contributors are German speaking and the book is published in Germany, the Teutonic influence in the layout and numbering of the paragraphs is unmistakable but it does not make for relaxed reading. The decision of the editors to invite multiple authors to write not only chapters, but even one or two paragraphs of text (see pages 63 to 67) seems extremely cumbersome and makes one wonder which one of the two or three authors actually wrote the two or three short paragraphs that follow their names. The line drawings, the clinical photographs and the colour plates are superb. The quality of the paper and the printing are up to the very high standards that we have come to take for granted from the publishers. Spelling mistakes are few and far between and the standard of writing (and translation) is remarkably even. Yet, with all these obvious advantages. your reviewer cannot help comparing this superb multi-authored SwissGerman text with the monograph published by Ion Kiricuta on “Use of the Omentum in Plastic Surgery” published in Romania in 1980 (reviewed in this Journal 1983, 36, 268). for this smaller book, not very well translated, printed on poor quality paper with many illustrations of indifferent clarity. was somehow more “alive” and exciting than the text under review. Having said this, there is no doubt whatever that both books should be available in our plastic surgical libraries, the former as a superbly illustrated source book and reference volume, the latter for the ideas and exciting possibilities that are offered to the reader and the reconstructive surgeon. MICHAEL
N. TEMPEST
Comprehensive Approaches to the Burned Person. By Norman R. Bernstein and Martin C. Robson (Editors). Pp. xxiv + 293 (New York: Medical Examination Publishing Co. Inc.. 1983). Price $23.50. In the 293 pages of this book the authors try to discuss all aspects of burn care. They could not and do not succeed. The sections on resuscitation and care of the burn wound can only summarise the principles of treatment. On the one hand this would be of little help to the inexperienced and on the other is already well known to those intimately involved in burn care. Also, although perhaps not intended, it appears to remove much of the responsibility for the total care of the burn patient from his doctor to a large number of other people, all of whom feel that it is within their remit to counsel the patient and his family. While not denying the role or the importance of team approach. this reviewer believes that the surgeon is best suited to decide and deliver the appropriate care and keep the patient and his relatives informed of these decisions. However, the authors have included important material not discussed in any great detail by other authors, Of particular interest are those chapters concerned with the dying patient. pain relief. the development of a burn surgeon, the psychological problems and pastoral care. It is obvious that these sections are written by those with much experience in the burn field and they make a very worthwhile contribution to this presentation. It is difficult to know who will read this book. Some sections would be of interest and importance for all disciplines involved in day-to-day care of the burn patient-the authors’ “advanced professionals”. Of more doubt is the claim that “it is perfect for students as an introduction to the realities of burn work”. For them a simpler approach would seem to be more appropriate. ANNE B. SUTHERLAND
JOURNAL
OF PLASTIC
SURGERY
Stable Internal Fixation in Maxillofacial
Bone Surgery. A By R. Texhammar and R. Schmoker with a foreword by B. Spiessl. Translated from the German by T. Telger. Pp. xi+90 with 140 illustrations (Berlin-Heidelberg-New YorkManual
for Operating
Tokyo:
Springer-Verlag,
Room
Personnel.
1984). Price
DM75.
This well produced short handbook is intended for those working in the operating theatre who use not only the AO/ASIF compressions and reconstruction plating system, but also the authors’ “Cranio-Fixateur Externe” halo frame and air drill system. The layout of instruments is clearly illustrated with photographs but some of the explanations of the methods of compression plating are not clear. Good stage by stage diagrams would have proved more helpful in preference to the showing of plates at numerous sites of the mandible. It would also have been advantageous if the detail of special fine instruments was made more apparent by magnification. The short section on diagnosis and management of the patient with maxillofacial injuries is of limited value and is perhaps inappropriate. The highly individual pre- and post-operative management practices of antiseptic sprays and rinses are not widely accepted. It should be said that this short manual will be of considerable use only to those converted to the Berne and Base1 maxillofacial surgical techniques. It suffers from translation with quaint expressions and anglicised German words. which does not make it readily understandable by those for whom it is intended, and at a cost of around f20 it can have only a limited place on the theatre bookshelf. K. F. MOOS
Malignant Tumours of the Oral Cavity. By J. M. Henk and J. D. Langdon (Editors). Pp. x + 235 with 81 tables and figs (London: Edward Arnold, 1985). Price c29.95. This book is one in “The Management
of Malignant Disease” series. It gives a very clear exposition of the management of oral tumours by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The principles of surgical management are very fairly presented but, unfortunately. the surgical detail tends to be half-baked. This is a good book, written in clear English, which would have been an excellent book if the surgical aspect had been handled better. Nevertheless the surgical chapter. written by one of the principal authors, a radiotherapist, is interesting to read because it does at least define acceptable common ground between surgeon and radiotherapist. Some minor adverse criticisms include a mistake in the definition of the retro-molar triangle. and rather unnecessarily long reference lists which occupy 14% of the book. In the chapter on presentation of tumours, I would like to have seen an explanation of the mechanism of some of the well known symptoms, e.g. pain in the ear. Some surgical assertions really should be challenged, e.g. that the temporalis muscle flap epithelialises spontaneously, and that primary reconstruction of the mandible is not usually practised. The chapters on the spread of squamous carcinoma. the presentation of the diseases, radiotherapy. chemotherapy and the management of lymph nodes are extremely good reading, and as a whole the book is recommended to anyone with responsibilities for patients with these diseases. If the book proceeds to a second edition later on. then I hope the surgical aspects can be improved. If so, this will be a very good book indeed. As it stands, it is well worth reading, COLIN R. RAYNER
BRITISH
As all but four of the 30 contributors are German speaking and the book is published in Germany, the Teutonic influence in the layout and numbering of the paragraphs is unmistakable but it does not make for relaxed reading. The decision of the editors to invite multiple authors to write not only chapters, but even one or two paragraphs of text (see pages 63 to 67) seems extremely cumbersome and makes one wonder which one of the two or three authors actually wrote the two or three short paragraphs that follow their names. The line drawings, the clinical photographs and the colour plates are superb. The quality of the paper and the printing are up to the very high standards that we have come to take for granted from the publishers. Spelling mistakes are few and far between and the standard of writing (and translation) is remarkably even. Yet, with all these obvious advantages. your reviewer cannot help comparing this superb multi-authored SwissGerman text with the monograph published by Ion Kiricuta on “Use of the Omentum in Plastic Surgery” published in Romania in 1980 (reviewed in this Journal 1983, 36, 268). for this smaller book, not very well translated, printed on poor quality paper with many illustrations of indifferent clarity. was somehow more “alive” and exciting than the text under review. Having said this, there is no doubt whatever that both books should be available in our plastic surgical libraries, the former as a superbly illustrated source book and reference volume, the latter for the ideas and exciting possibilities that are offered to the reader and the reconstructive surgeon. MICHAEL
N. TEMPEST
Comprehensive Approaches to the Burned Person. By Norman R. Bernstein and Martin C. Robson (Editors). Pp. xxiv + 293 (New York: Medical Examination Publishing Co. Inc.. 1983). Price $23.50. In the 293 pages of this book the authors try to discuss all aspects of burn care. They could not and do not succeed. The sections on resuscitation and care of the burn wound can only summarise the principles of treatment. On the one hand this would be of little help to the inexperienced and on the other is already well known to those intimately involved in burn care. Also, although perhaps not intended, it appears to remove much of the responsibility for the total care of the burn patient from his doctor to a large number of other people, all of whom feel that it is within their remit to counsel the patient and his family. While not denying the role or the importance of team approach. this reviewer believes that the surgeon is best suited to decide and deliver the appropriate care and keep the patient and his relatives informed of these decisions. However, the authors have included important material not discussed in any great detail by other authors, Of particular interest are those chapters concerned with the dying patient. pain relief. the development of a burn surgeon, the psychological problems and pastoral care. It is obvious that these sections are written by those with much experience in the burn field and they make a very worthwhile contribution to this presentation. It is difficult to know who will read this book. Some sections would be of interest and importance for all disciplines involved in day-to-day care of the burn patient-the authors’ “advanced professionals”. Of more doubt is the claim that “it is perfect for students as an introduction to the realities of burn work”. For them a simpler approach would seem to be more appropriate. ANNE B. SUTHERLAND
JOURNAL
OF PLASTIC
SURGERY
Stable Internal Fixation in Maxillofacial
Bone Surgery. A By R. Texhammar and R. Schmoker with a foreword by B. Spiessl. Translated from the German by T. Telger. Pp. xi+90 with 140 illustrations (Berlin-Heidelberg-New YorkManual
for Operating
Tokyo:
Springer-Verlag,
Room
Personnel.
1984). Price
DM75.
This well produced short handbook is intended for those working in the operating theatre who use not only the AO/ASIF compressions and reconstruction plating system, but also the authors’ “Cranio-Fixateur Externe” halo frame and air drill system. The layout of instruments is clearly illustrated with photographs but some of the explanations of the methods of compression plating are not clear. Good stage by stage diagrams would have proved more helpful in preference to the showing of plates at numerous sites of the mandible. It would also have been advantageous if the detail of special fine instruments was made more apparent by magnification. The short section on diagnosis and management of the patient with maxillofacial injuries is of limited value and is perhaps inappropriate. The highly individual pre- and post-operative management practices of antiseptic sprays and rinses are not widely accepted. It should be said that this short manual will be of considerable use only to those converted to the Berne and Base1 maxillofacial surgical techniques. It suffers from translation with quaint expressions and anglicised German words. which does not make it readily understandable by those for whom it is intended, and at a cost of around f20 it can have only a limited place on the theatre bookshelf. K. F. MOOS
Malignant Tumours of the Oral Cavity. By J. M. Henk and J. D. Langdon (Editors). Pp. x + 235 with 81 tables and figs (London: Edward Arnold, 1985). Price c29.95. This book is one in “The Management
of Malignant Disease” series. It gives a very clear exposition of the management of oral tumours by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The principles of surgical management are very fairly presented but, unfortunately. the surgical detail tends to be half-baked. This is a good book, written in clear English, which would have been an excellent book if the surgical aspect had been handled better. Nevertheless the surgical chapter. written by one of the principal authors, a radiotherapist, is interesting to read because it does at least define acceptable common ground between surgeon and radiotherapist. Some minor adverse criticisms include a mistake in the definition of the retro-molar triangle. and rather unnecessarily long reference lists which occupy 14% of the book. In the chapter on presentation of tumours, I would like to have seen an explanation of the mechanism of some of the well known symptoms, e.g. pain in the ear. Some surgical assertions really should be challenged, e.g. that the temporalis muscle flap epithelialises spontaneously, and that primary reconstruction of the mandible is not usually practised. The chapters on the spread of squamous carcinoma. the presentation of the diseases, radiotherapy. chemotherapy and the management of lymph nodes are extremely good reading, and as a whole the book is recommended to anyone with responsibilities for patients with these diseases. If the book proceeds to a second edition later on. then I hope the surgical aspects can be improved. If so, this will be a very good book indeed. As it stands, it is well worth reading, COLIN R. RAYNER