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Vascular problems in urologic surgery
Volume 3 Number 1 January 1986
~:- anfortunate omission. None of these minor criticisms, however, alter the fact that this is a fine distillation of expertise. The illustrations and references are superb. It is a "must" for any serious angiographer and should be on the shelf of libraries of vascular surgery. Paul Jaques, M39. North CarolinaMemorial Hospital
Atherosclerosis reviews: End points for cardiovascular drug studies, vol. 12 Ruth Johnsson Hegyeli, vol. ed. New York, 1984, Raven Press, 200 pages, $49.50. The twelfth volume of Atherosclerosis Reviews seeks to define end points in treatments of cardiovascular disease. ~'he volume editor, Ruth J. Hegyeli, has assembled diverse themes including drug effect on measurement of atherosclerot: ~ lesions in human beings and animals (auxometry); drugs and diet in intervention trials with morbidity and mortality as end points; treatment of coronary spasm and thrombosis, arrhythmias, and coronary thrombosis; pharmacology of antiplatelet and theologically active drugs; blood lipids, and validation studies of B-mode ultrasound and duplex scanning. Casual readers looking for definitive end points will be disappointed. The chapter, "Drugs for Atherosclerosis Regression," describes auxometry, which the dictionary defines as measurement of growth rates; ideally it may also measure shrinkage of plaques, not otherwise described in the chapter. Drug effects on lipid lowering are described. With regard to atherosclerosis specifically, one contributor stated, "The atherosclerotic lesion is a complex object of evaluation," providing an important insight into the problem of end point definition. This example makes clear the difficulties of determining cardiovascular end points; the volume combines a spectrum of disciplines including physiology, pharmacology, epidemiology, and more. At $49.50, the book is a slender 200 pages. As with all mult~:~~ o r e d volumes, a minor caveat exists about the variability of contributions. Gotto's chapter on lipids, lipoproreins, and apolipoproteins is comprehensive, practical, and lucid. It is one of the best current reviews available. Vascular surgeons will find useful the section on Bmode ultrasound and the chapters on antiplatelet drugs and theology. In the chapter on arrhythmias it was difficult to separate the concepts about "sudden" vs. "instantaneous" cardiac death. "Instantaneous death," within less than 1 minute, I thought was usually due to an arrhythmia in the presence of stable coronary artery disease. The authors suggest that "crucial data that establish a given end point as a predictor of a drug's ability to prevent sudden coronary death can only be obtained after determining whether sudden coronary death can in fact be reduced by the drug." One cannot tell whether instantaneous death, caused by arrhythmia, is being addressed as an end point, or whether two pathologic entities of coronary thrombosis and arrhythmia merge insome way. The chapter on drug
Book Reviews 167
treatment for experimental models was brief for a review, and its reference list was truncated. On the whole the strength and diversity of most of the contributions in this volume outweigh the weaknesses. The chapters on antiplatelet pharmacology are extraordinarily good and should be read by vascular surgeons and any other clinicians using these drugs. Ownership of this volume is a must for any serious student of vascular disease and a welcome addition to my own library. It will be reread frequently while we await more clearly defined end points. Ralph G. DePalma, M39. George Washington University
Vascular surgery: A comprehensive review Wesley S. Moore, ed. New York, 1983, Grune & Stratton, Inc., 994 pages, $89.00. The advent of written examination for certification of special competence in vascular surgery has created the demand for a comprehensive review of vascular surgery in a format other than that of the usual textbook. What is wanted is a complete study guide that is well organized and thorough. The book VascularSurgery:A Comprehensive Rev/ew, edited by Wesley Moore, easily fiflfills this need. This book, which was compiled from multiple knowledgeable authors, was directly derived from a course given in preparation for the vascular examination. Thus its organization and content are precisely suited for this purpose. Unlike most textbooks that seem obligated to provide an exhaustive coverage of each possible topic, this review book assumes that the reader has a good background knowledge of vascular disease and usual treatment. It then concentrates on providing the reader with an authoritative outline of current thought regarding the complex issues in vascular surgery. Additionally, it provides up-to-date review of the potential uses of newer drug therapy under consideration for use in vascular disease. Uncommon vasaalar disorders are also included in this work and provide the reader with concise differential data that facilitate retention of the material. A particularly attractive aspect of this book is the series of review questions that follow every chapter. These provide an invaluable study guide and greatly enhance the usefulness of the book. I would strongly recommend this book to every vascular surgeon and would particularly encourage any prospective examinee to Study it thoroughly. Larry H. Hollier, M~D. Mayo Clinic
Vasctflar problems in urologic surgery Andrew C. Novick and Ralph A. Straffon, eds. Philadelphia, 1982, WB Saunders Co., 361 pages, $49.95. Drs. Novick and Straffon, each of whom has had much experience in renovascular and transplant surgery at The Cleveland Clinic, have written several chapters in Vascular
168
Journal of VASCULAR SURGERY
Book Reviews
Problems in Urologic Surgery and have organized the work of 20 contributing authors. The book is arranged in live parts of four or five chapters each. The first part concerns the basics of vascular surgery and the specific techniques available for evaluation of renal vasculature and blood flow as well as the mechanics of renal preservation. The second part deals with renal surgery with emphasis on its vascular aspects. The third part discusses the evaluation and treatment of diseases of the renal arteries and veins including renovascu]ar hypertension. The fourth part covers the details of renal transplantation, and the final part explains microvascular techniques and their application to genitourinary surgery.
This book is well planned and is for the most part ~)11 written. It shares the weakness of inconsistency with many current textbooks that are edited by few, but written by many. I recommend this work to the urologist, who performs vascular surgery, to refresh his knowledge and techniques. The book will also be usefial to the vascular surgeon who may be a consultant to the urologist who does not perform vascular surgery. Patrick C. Devine, M.D. Eastern Virginia Medical School
~:- anfortunate omission. None of these minor criticisms, however, alter the fact that this is a fine distillation of expertise. The illustrations and references are superb. It is a "must" for any serious angiographer and should be on the shelf of libraries of vascular surgery. Paul Jaques, M39. North CarolinaMemorial Hospital
Atherosclerosis reviews: End points for cardiovascular drug studies, vol. 12 Ruth Johnsson Hegyeli, vol. ed. New York, 1984, Raven Press, 200 pages, $49.50. The twelfth volume of Atherosclerosis Reviews seeks to define end points in treatments of cardiovascular disease. ~'he volume editor, Ruth J. Hegyeli, has assembled diverse themes including drug effect on measurement of atherosclerot: ~ lesions in human beings and animals (auxometry); drugs and diet in intervention trials with morbidity and mortality as end points; treatment of coronary spasm and thrombosis, arrhythmias, and coronary thrombosis; pharmacology of antiplatelet and theologically active drugs; blood lipids, and validation studies of B-mode ultrasound and duplex scanning. Casual readers looking for definitive end points will be disappointed. The chapter, "Drugs for Atherosclerosis Regression," describes auxometry, which the dictionary defines as measurement of growth rates; ideally it may also measure shrinkage of plaques, not otherwise described in the chapter. Drug effects on lipid lowering are described. With regard to atherosclerosis specifically, one contributor stated, "The atherosclerotic lesion is a complex object of evaluation," providing an important insight into the problem of end point definition. This example makes clear the difficulties of determining cardiovascular end points; the volume combines a spectrum of disciplines including physiology, pharmacology, epidemiology, and more. At $49.50, the book is a slender 200 pages. As with all mult~:~~ o r e d volumes, a minor caveat exists about the variability of contributions. Gotto's chapter on lipids, lipoproreins, and apolipoproteins is comprehensive, practical, and lucid. It is one of the best current reviews available. Vascular surgeons will find useful the section on Bmode ultrasound and the chapters on antiplatelet drugs and theology. In the chapter on arrhythmias it was difficult to separate the concepts about "sudden" vs. "instantaneous" cardiac death. "Instantaneous death," within less than 1 minute, I thought was usually due to an arrhythmia in the presence of stable coronary artery disease. The authors suggest that "crucial data that establish a given end point as a predictor of a drug's ability to prevent sudden coronary death can only be obtained after determining whether sudden coronary death can in fact be reduced by the drug." One cannot tell whether instantaneous death, caused by arrhythmia, is being addressed as an end point, or whether two pathologic entities of coronary thrombosis and arrhythmia merge insome way. The chapter on drug
Book Reviews 167
treatment for experimental models was brief for a review, and its reference list was truncated. On the whole the strength and diversity of most of the contributions in this volume outweigh the weaknesses. The chapters on antiplatelet pharmacology are extraordinarily good and should be read by vascular surgeons and any other clinicians using these drugs. Ownership of this volume is a must for any serious student of vascular disease and a welcome addition to my own library. It will be reread frequently while we await more clearly defined end points. Ralph G. DePalma, M39. George Washington University
Vascular surgery: A comprehensive review Wesley S. Moore, ed. New York, 1983, Grune & Stratton, Inc., 994 pages, $89.00. The advent of written examination for certification of special competence in vascular surgery has created the demand for a comprehensive review of vascular surgery in a format other than that of the usual textbook. What is wanted is a complete study guide that is well organized and thorough. The book VascularSurgery:A Comprehensive Rev/ew, edited by Wesley Moore, easily fiflfills this need. This book, which was compiled from multiple knowledgeable authors, was directly derived from a course given in preparation for the vascular examination. Thus its organization and content are precisely suited for this purpose. Unlike most textbooks that seem obligated to provide an exhaustive coverage of each possible topic, this review book assumes that the reader has a good background knowledge of vascular disease and usual treatment. It then concentrates on providing the reader with an authoritative outline of current thought regarding the complex issues in vascular surgery. Additionally, it provides up-to-date review of the potential uses of newer drug therapy under consideration for use in vascular disease. Uncommon vasaalar disorders are also included in this work and provide the reader with concise differential data that facilitate retention of the material. A particularly attractive aspect of this book is the series of review questions that follow every chapter. These provide an invaluable study guide and greatly enhance the usefulness of the book. I would strongly recommend this book to every vascular surgeon and would particularly encourage any prospective examinee to Study it thoroughly. Larry H. Hollier, M~D. Mayo Clinic
Vasctflar problems in urologic surgery Andrew C. Novick and Ralph A. Straffon, eds. Philadelphia, 1982, WB Saunders Co., 361 pages, $49.95. Drs. Novick and Straffon, each of whom has had much experience in renovascular and transplant surgery at The Cleveland Clinic, have written several chapters in Vascular
168
Journal of VASCULAR SURGERY
Book Reviews
Problems in Urologic Surgery and have organized the work of 20 contributing authors. The book is arranged in live parts of four or five chapters each. The first part concerns the basics of vascular surgery and the specific techniques available for evaluation of renal vasculature and blood flow as well as the mechanics of renal preservation. The second part deals with renal surgery with emphasis on its vascular aspects. The third part discusses the evaluation and treatment of diseases of the renal arteries and veins including renovascu]ar hypertension. The fourth part covers the details of renal transplantation, and the final part explains microvascular techniques and their application to genitourinary surgery.
This book is well planned and is for the most part ~)11 written. It shares the weakness of inconsistency with many current textbooks that are edited by few, but written by many. I recommend this work to the urologist, who performs vascular surgery, to refresh his knowledge and techniques. The book will also be usefial to the vascular surgeon who may be a consultant to the urologist who does not perform vascular surgery. Patrick C. Devine, M.D. Eastern Virginia Medical School