Book Review

Adult Cardiac Surgery

N Engl J Med 1993; 328:1286-1287April 29, 1993

Article

Adult Cardiac Surgery
By Robert M. Bojar. 562 pp., illustrated. Boston, Blackwell Scientific, 1992. $99.95. ISBN: 0-86542-140-4

An explosively growing scientific literature makes it ever more difficult for any reader to master the wealth of data in most fields of study. This holds particularly true for cardiac surgery, in which seemingly every aspect of current surgical practice has been studied in overwhelming detail. In order to assimilate all this information, some textbooks have become menacing tomes, manageable only for the most specific of inquiries. Others provide readability at the expense of detail, offering much fluff and few facts. In Adult Cardiac Surgery, Bojar has thoughtfully surveyed the length and breadth of the current practice of adult cardiac surgery at a satisfying depth for both those familiar and those unfamiliar with the discipline. He offers enough detail to provide insight even for the practicing cardiac surgeon into such complex areas as the appropriate delivery of cardioplegia, alternatives in the treatment of aortic dissections, and the techniques of mitral-valve repair.

On the other hand, even the novice can follow along in these well-written and amply illustrated chapters. For the non-surgeon, there are bare facts, nuts-and-bolts descriptions of such mysteries as the heart-lung machine and cardiopulmonary bypass. The author wisely leaves the large body of knowledge regarding congenital heart surgery to others, allowing comprehensive coverage of the subject at hand. Perhaps the only specific criticism of this book regards its relatively heavy dependence on reprinted illustrations, which results in a somewhat heterogeneous and inconsistent package. Even here, Bojar has chosen well in illustrating the matter under discussion. Because it addresses a diverse population of readers, elements of this textbook will undoubtedly be inappropriate for some. Nevertheless, the book as a whole is easily read and informative. It should be a handy reference for surgeons, cardiologists, and others with either a general interest or a specific inquiry about adult cardiac surgery.

Todd Rosengart, M.D.
O. Wayne Isom, M.D.
New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY 10021