Ferraro’s Fundamentals of Maxillofacial Surgery, 2nd Edition

Abstract

As a service to our readers, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery® reviews books, DVDs, practice management software, and electronic media items of educational interest to reconstructive and aesthetic surgeons. All items are copyrighted and available commercially. The Journal actively solicits information in digital format (e.g., CD-ROM and Internet offerings) for review. Reviewers are selected on the basis of relevant interest. Reviews are solely the opinion of the reviewer; they are usually published as submitted, with only copy editing. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery® does not endorse or recommend any review so published. Send books, DVDs, and any other material for consideration to: Arun K. Gosain, M.D., Review Editor, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Brookriver Executive Center, 8150 Brookriver Drive, Suite S-415, Dallas, Texas 75247. Arun K. Gosain, M.D. Review Editor Surgery of the craniomaxillofacial skeleton and soft tissues is a field that bridges plastic surgery and oral maxillofacial surgery. The second edition of Ferraro’s Fundamentals of Maxillofacial Surgery, with 510 pages and retailing at $209, combines the expertise of both specialties to produce a high-quality comprehensive overview of maxillofacial surgery. Not only have the editors created a book that appeals to practicing surgeons of multiple specialties, Ferraro’s Fundamentals of Maxillofacial Surgery is a useful addition to a personal library for trainees, students, and surgeons alike.FigureOn first opening this book, one is immediately struck by the number and outstanding quality of the illustrations. Combining photographs, radiographs, and diagrams, each chapter is supported by clear and helpful images. The writing style is clear and engaging, and relatively consistent across chapters, containing sufficient detail for the chapters to combine into this comprehensive overview. The editors have divided the book into three main sections: The Basics, Maxillofacial Fractures, and Orthognathic Surgery, with a final, small Laboratory section with a single chapter entitled “Impressions, Models, and Splints: The Basic Maxillofacial Laboratory.” One thing this book does particularly well is to combine the basic science of maxillofacial surgery with clinical management of patients. The Basics section includes topics on embryology, anatomy, facial assessment, anesthesia, imaging, principles of fixation, bone grafting, and biomaterials. The authors have done an excellent job of explaining these topics well in an easy-to-follow style with copious illustrations and frequent emphasis on the clinical relevance and applications of each topic. The Maxillofacial Fractures section starts with comprehensive assessment and immediate management of the trauma patient and a chapter on soft tissue, before discussing the various facial fracture types. There are specific chapters on microvascular reconstruction, gunshot wounds, pediatric fractures, and secondary reconstruction of both bone and soft tissue, providing a complete guide to the assessment and management of facial fractures across ages and etiologies. Orthognathic Surgery is the third section. Another particularly impressive component of this book is the discussion of orthognathic planning. By including clinical evaluation and photographic, cephalometric, and anthropomorphic analyses, these chapters on planning take the reader in detail through the steps of evaluation, analysis, creation of planning tools, making planning decisions, and virtual surgery, using both models and three-dimensional software, with appendices to guide the trainee on how to create cephalometric tracings and the relevant planes, angles, and relationships. The remainder of this section includes topics on orthodontics, genioplasty, maxillary and mandibular osteotomies, dental extraction, maxillofacial augmentation and reduction, and distraction osteogenesis. As elsewhere in this book, the surgical procedures are well-explained with copious clear illustrations. Inclusion in the Laboratory section of the “Impressions, Models, and Splints” chapter is very helpful for the trainee and surgeon with no experience in a maxillofacial laboratory. With an introduction to materials and equipment, the reader is guided through how to prepare and use the various materials both for trauma and for single-jaw and two-jaw orthognathic surgery. There are no supplemental resources to this book, either as a DVD or online. This is somewhat disappointing for a book aimed at trainees, for whom video material of clinical assessments, preoperative planning techniques, and operative procedures would be helpful. Ferraro’s Fundamentals of Maxillofacial Surgery admirably achieves its aim of providing a comprehensive overview of maxillofacial surgery. It will appeal to surgeons from multiple specialties throughout their careers. We commend the editors and authors on the development of this approachable, informative, and superbly illustrated text, and have no hesitation in recommending it. James R. Seaward, M.D. Alex A. Kane, M.D.