Body Image: A Surgical Perspective

Abstract

This is a fine-looking, copiously illustrated book written by two well-known clinicians. It purports to deal with all aspects of body contouring surgery, although its title does not state that. In the preface and the first two and last chapters, the authors survey in sometimes ponderous fashion the anthropocentric, anthropomorphic, philosophical, and historical justification for this type of surgery. Included in this are eight fully illustrated pages of period costuming. Chapters on superficial anatomy and anesthesia are useful, the latter including the authors' routine. The bulk of the book deals with heavily illustrated case reports of abdominoplasty, each followed by a rather honest critique. Two chapters deal with complications of abdominoplasty, their prevention and treatment. There is one chapter each on the thigh plasty and brachioplasty, again generously illustrated and presented essentially in case report format. Although the authors liberally demonstrate their vast experience with body contouring surgery, I found