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The Practice of Interventional Radiology
BOOK REVIEW
The Practice of Interventional Radiology Karim Valji Philadelphia, Elsevier Saunders, 2012, hardcover, $200.00, 768 pp
The Practice of Interventional Radiology is the newest edition of the widely studied Vascular and Interventional Radiology, famous among trainees and attending physicians as “the Valji text.” This edition is worthy of its new moniker and is more than a simple rearrangement and updating of the former version. Dr. Valji modified the content to include more recent advancements in the field, and the publishers added an online version to accommodate the learning styles of the next generation of radiology trainees. The structure of the book has been rearranged slightly, with the core topics grouped by the vascular system covered. These sections are flanked by an introductory section covering periprocedural patient care and the fundamentals of basic interventional radiology procedures and a nonvascular interventions section. This rearrangement reflects the addition of a new chapter on interventional oncology (IO) to the text. Although not fully comprehensive, this new chapter provides a solid introduction to the core procedures of IO and serves as a good introduction for radiology residents and fellows. A new chapter on neurointerventions was added in the wake of the deletion of the section on lymphangiography. The neurointerventional chapter is limited to those procedures that are frequently performed by general
& SIR, 2013 J Vasc Interv Radiol 2013; 24:1671 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jvir.2013.07.022
interventionalists, but its coverage is more extensive and comprehensive than the IO section. The most significant advancement in this text is the addition of an online version, readily accessible from desktop PCs and tablets. Through Elsevier’s Expert Consult Web site, the purchaser is able to access a well organized, fully searchable complete version of the book. Its readability is in no way diminished, and the images are well reproduced. To encourage those readers who cling to the printed word to enter cyberspace, the publishers have added more than 100 cases of supplemental content that can be accessed only via the online version. The cases are presented as unknowns and are referenced throughout the print and online versions of the text. The new version of the beloved Valji text remains a valuable educational reference and is now more relevant to the more tech-savvy generation of trainees. The target audience remains residents and fellows, but this text will likely remain on the shelf of interventional radiologists long after training has been completed. The addition of the online content, which is reviewable on tablet devices, makes this book well worth its price. — reviewed by Curtis Anderson, MD, PhD
The Practice of Interventional Radiology Karim Valji Philadelphia, Elsevier Saunders, 2012, hardcover, $200.00, 768 pp
The Practice of Interventional Radiology is the newest edition of the widely studied Vascular and Interventional Radiology, famous among trainees and attending physicians as “the Valji text.” This edition is worthy of its new moniker and is more than a simple rearrangement and updating of the former version. Dr. Valji modified the content to include more recent advancements in the field, and the publishers added an online version to accommodate the learning styles of the next generation of radiology trainees. The structure of the book has been rearranged slightly, with the core topics grouped by the vascular system covered. These sections are flanked by an introductory section covering periprocedural patient care and the fundamentals of basic interventional radiology procedures and a nonvascular interventions section. This rearrangement reflects the addition of a new chapter on interventional oncology (IO) to the text. Although not fully comprehensive, this new chapter provides a solid introduction to the core procedures of IO and serves as a good introduction for radiology residents and fellows. A new chapter on neurointerventions was added in the wake of the deletion of the section on lymphangiography. The neurointerventional chapter is limited to those procedures that are frequently performed by general
& SIR, 2013 J Vasc Interv Radiol 2013; 24:1671 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jvir.2013.07.022
interventionalists, but its coverage is more extensive and comprehensive than the IO section. The most significant advancement in this text is the addition of an online version, readily accessible from desktop PCs and tablets. Through Elsevier’s Expert Consult Web site, the purchaser is able to access a well organized, fully searchable complete version of the book. Its readability is in no way diminished, and the images are well reproduced. To encourage those readers who cling to the printed word to enter cyberspace, the publishers have added more than 100 cases of supplemental content that can be accessed only via the online version. The cases are presented as unknowns and are referenced throughout the print and online versions of the text. The new version of the beloved Valji text remains a valuable educational reference and is now more relevant to the more tech-savvy generation of trainees. The target audience remains residents and fellows, but this text will likely remain on the shelf of interventional radiologists long after training has been completed. The addition of the online content, which is reviewable on tablet devices, makes this book well worth its price. — reviewed by Curtis Anderson, MD, PhD