Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery of the Breast

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: Ronald P. Gruber, M.D., Review Editor, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5959 Harry Hines Boulevard, POB1, Suite 300, Dallas, Texas 75390-8820. There are several excellent multivolume encyclopedias that comprehensively address aesthetic and reconstructive breast surgery. Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery of the Breast, edited by Elizabeth J. Hall -Findlay and Gregory R. D. Evans, complements these other breast books by providing, in a single, brief volume, the entire universe of breast surgery written by acknowledged experts in the field. Much like Grabb and Smith's Plastic Surgery, this volume will be of immediate value to trainees in plastic surgery who are mastering the broad spectrum of breast procedures.FigureThis book has much to recommend it apart from brevity. One true strength of the book is the standardized format, which provides for quick access to the core concepts in every chapter. In addition, a very abundant use of illustrations helps to clarify the key issues for each topic, avoiding the need for long blocks of expository text. Obviously, a lot of time and care went into editing the volume, as the photographs and illustrations are thoughtful and are of uniformly high quality, elegantly complementing the accompanying text. The editors should be commended for producing a very modern textbook in a very useful format. The book also focuses on some emerging areas that are less well described and potentially less well understood in our specialty. These include breast reduction after massive weight loss and the use of fat for breast augmentation, with chapters written by world experts in these areas. Since the book can easily be read from cover to cover in a few weeks, the reader is provided with a comprehensive view not only of where the field has been but also of where it is going. In conclusion, this single-volume book is a major contribution to the surgery of the breast. It should be required reading for all plastic surgical trainees. Its value extends to practitioners of any age, however, as its format allows for concise review of rarely performed procedures and rare diagnoses. With its abundant illustrations, clear text, and standardized format, it is certain that the iPad and Kindle versions of the text will be fixtures in operating rooms across the world in the years ahead. Geoffrey C. Gurtner, M.D.