ANZ J. Surg.

2003;

73

: 1071

BOOK REVIEWS

Surgical Directives: Pediatric Surgery

. Edited by PeterMattei. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2003. 847pages. Includes index. ISBN: 0-7817-3000-7.

This text is the first of an anticipated series of editions of

SurgicalDirectives: Pediatric Surgery

designed to complement standard

textbooks on paediatric surgery. It assumes previous knowledgeof anatomy, pathophysiology and diagnostic methods and, as aconsequence, is not appropriate for medical students; instead itappears to be aimed more at senior paediatric surgical traineesand at practising paediatric surgeons.

There has been no attempt to make the book comprehensive inits coverage of paediatric surgery. It highlights specific subjectsthat are topical, and provides information that is more up to datethan that provided by conventional general textbooks on paediatricsurgery. Indeed, the editor suggests that a short interval betweennew editions is to enable therapeutic aspects to be kept up to date.

The text contains 139 chapters by more than 150 contributors,almost exclusively from the USA, but not all the contributors arepaediatric surgeons. There are specific sections devoted to pre-operative and postoperative care, critical care, trauma, the airwayand head and neck, oesophagus, stomach and small intestine,colon, rectum and anus, thorax and mediastinum, abdominalwall, peritoneum and diaphragm; liver, biliary tree, pancreas andspleen; transplantation; surgical oncology; skin and soft tissue;genitourinary systems; as well as various miscellaneous topicsincluding abdominal pain, laparoscopic techniques and fetal sur-gery. Although the book is divided into sections, the order ofchapters within each section is not always easy to follow andsometimes compromises the readers’ ability to access topicseasily. For example, gastrostomy is covered in two chapters(chapters 44 and 61); the first deals with percutaneous endoscopicgastrostomy, the second with laparoscopic and open gastrostomy.There are two chapters devoted to necrotizing enterocolitis; one isa general one, the second is devoted to peritoneal drainage alone;this is an example of how topical issues are given particularprominence. The book clearly does not intend to be all inclusiveof either the specialty as a whole or of subjects within it, anddeliberately allows authors to reflect their personal biases. Con-sequently, the chapters do not necessarily contain all treatmentoptions for a disease. Often they present a preferred therapeuticoption by one expert in the field, and the choice of author formany of the chapters predicts its content.

Most of the chapters are well written, concise and easy tofollow, and quite practical. The format is tidy, and the style ismore consistent than in many multi-authored books. Many of thechapters have surprisingly few illustrations. At the end of eachchapter the ‘suggested reading’ identifies several key publicationsrather than an extensive bibliography; for most chapters the list iswell chosen and representative. The index is comprehensive.

This book will make a welcome addition to the libraries anddepartments of paediatric surgical institutions, and will provide auseful resource for advanced trainees in paediatric surgery. Itmakes interesting reading for established paediatric surgeons andwill help keep their knowledge current. The frequency of subse-quent editions and the choice of topics will be the ultimate test ofthe success of this book.

S

PENCER

B

EASLEY

Department of Paediatric Surgery,

Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand