Editor: Michael J. Englesbe, MD
Editor-in-Chief (of Series in Operative Techniques): Michael W. Mulholland, MD
Publisher: Wolters Kluwer | Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins – 342 pages
Book Review by: Nano Khilnani

This volume focused on the detailed technical aspects of transplantation surgery, is part of the series Operative Techniques in Surgery.  The series editor Dr. Mulholland points out that operative therapy is complex, technically demanding, and rapidly evolving. Besides this volume, other books cover other forms of surgery such as open operations, laparoscopy, and surgery using robots.

This unique book has been designed and developed for use by anyone interested in transplant surgery including medical students, transplant physicians and their extenders, surgical trainees, and practicing transplant surgeons.

Eighty-two contributors to this book including experienced surgeons, professors of various types of surgery, specialists in various medical fields, clinical fellows, researchers, surgical residents, and others wrote the 48 chapters of this book. The authors are mainly from the United States but also from Brazil, Canada, and South Africa.

Many of these contributors have years of experience and have developed expertise in transplanting various organs including the heart, intestines, kidneys, liver, lungs, and pancreas.

The 48 chapters of this book are organized into 14 sections. We name them below so you can get an overview of what you will find in it:

  • Deceased Donor Kidney Procurement
  • Living Donor Kidney Procurement
  • Kidney Transplantation Surgical Procedures
  • Deceased Donor Liver Procurement
  • Living Donor Liver Procurement
  • Whole Graft Liver Transplantation
  • Liver Transplantation – Venous Outflow
  • Liver Transplantation – Portal Vein Reconstruction
  • Liver Transplantation – Arterial Reconstruction
  • Liver Transplantation – Biliary Reconstruction
  • Partial Graft Liver Transplantation
  • Pancreas Transplantation Surgical Procedures
  • Lung Transplantation Surgical Procedures
  • Portal Hypertension Surgical Procedures

The well-organized chapters are typically not lengthy. With ample use of a lot of bullet points, the authors present the essential information and instructions in very concise form. In a typical chapter you will find these common features:

  • Definitions
  • Donor History
  • Imaging and Other Diagnostic Studies
  • Surgical Management
  • Pearls and Pitfalls
  • Postoperative Care
  • Outcomes
  • Complications
  • References

In addition, important topics relating to the subject of a particular chapter are provided with brief notes, also typically in bullet-point format. The tables and charts provided can help you grasp a lot of information at one glance.

The quality and clarity of the full-color photographs of the organs being transplanted, along with the surgical instruments being used are incredibly stunning. The line drawings of the various anatomical parts are very detailed and precise, which is essential in surgery.

With your purchase of the print edition of this text, you can enjoy its bundled interactive eBook edition as well, offering tablet, smart phone and online access to:

  • Complete content with enhanced navigation
  • A powerful search that pulls results from content in the book, your notes, even the web
  • Cross-linked pages, references, and more for easy navigation
  • Highlighting tool for easier reference of key content throughout the text
  • Ability to take and share notes with friends and colleagues
  • Quick reference tabbing to save your favorite content for future use
  • 70 full-length interactive videos that can be viewed in their entirety or in over 100 short segments for quick and simple viewing

Here’s how you download your eBook:

  1. Go to http://solution.lww.com/access
  2. Enter the Access Code found by scratching off the tab on inside front cover of your book
  3. Sign in or create an account to complete checkout and start reading.

 

Michael J. Englesbe, MD is Associate Professor Surgery in the Department of Surgery at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Michael W. Mulholland, MD, PhD is Professor of Surgery and Chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, Michigan.