Readings in Modern Surgery

Abstract

In this well-balanced anthology of 57 new and noteworthy publications, Egdahl and Mannick have focused on those areas of clinical surgery undergoing recent change or introspection. For example, some articles introduce new operative approaches (myocardial revascularization for cardiogenic shock, ileostomy and colostomy for toxic megacolon, total pancreatectomy for ductal carcinoma), or improvements in postoperative management (rabbit antilymphocyte serum treatment in clinical transplantation, prevention of tracheal injury during intubation). Others critically reevaluate established operations like carotid endartectomy, sphincterotomy vs choledochoduodenostomy, and hiatus hernia repair. The results of surgery for parathyroid tumors, recurrent hiatus hernia repair, and pulmonary resection for metastatic lesions are updated, and recommendations for alterations in technique or patient management are presented—eg, conservative surgery for papillary thyroid carcinoma, needle aspiration for breast cysts, and transperitoneal drainage of subphrenic abscess. Investigative or controversial topics like tumor immunology, local excision for breast carcinoma, prophylactic portacaval shunts, and ischemic colitis are also