Key Questions in Cardiac Surgery. Edited by N. Moor-jani, N. Viola and S. K. Ohri. UK: TFM Publishing Limited, 2011. 520 pages. ISBN: 978-1-903378-69-4. Price: dollar99.00.

摘要

This book is nicely written, although it is a curious experiment in style. Rather than a traditional textbook, structured to deliver knowledge in a systematic style with didactic dissertations, this book poses a series of questions to which concise answers are provided. It certainly represents a refreshing approach. The target audience is neither basic nor advanced. Clearly, the text was written by the authors either shortly after their completion of Fellowship or Board examinations; or specifically for such examinations. It reminds one of the 'instant lists' of answers that one may expect in a verbal examination or a DeBakey ward round. Fire back the answer or suffer the consequences! As a result, the book is neither comprehensive nor elementary and so would appeal best to the cardiothoracic trainee in the latter part of their training, or the experienced resident, cardiothoracic nurse or intensive care unit trainee.The book is heavily weighted towards theoretical lists; hence, short on clinical acumen. It summarizes the various modalities of investigation well and the key trials of the day. The illustrations are mostly very good. One large area of deficiency though, is the chapter on coronary bypass surgery. For a subject that occupies two-thirds of all of adult cardiac surgery, only 33 pages of the 500-page book are devoted to it, and half dealing with a variety of major clinical trials. And there is little dealing with the technical aspects of operative surgery.