Operative Techniques: Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, 2nd Edition

By Donald Lee, MD

ISBN: 9780323508803

Pub Date: 3/13/18

Reviewed by: Scott A Magnes, MD, ATC (Fort Belvoir Community Hospital)

Description

This is a “how-to” guide for 43 common shoulder and 25 common elbow surgical procedures. An accompanying website provides an ebook version as well as videos. The first edition was published in 2010.

Purpose

The main purpose is to provide s step-by-step guide to performing some of the most common shoulder and elbow surgical procedures, including open and arthroscopic techniques.

Audience

The intended audience is primarily orthopedic surgeons. This book would be especially helpful for orthopedic surgeons in training who are studying for upcoming shoulder or elbow cases, especially if they are not yet familiar with them. It provides a step-by-step guide to how each of the authors performs each of the procedures. It also would be a good review for more seasoned surgeons who have not performed a particular type of case for a while.

Features

Each chapter concentrates on surgical technique and provides pearls and pitfalls. Chapters are organized similarly, covering surgical indications, physical examination, imaging studies, surgical anatomy, and postoperative care. The surgical technique portion of each chapter includes recommendations on surgical positioning, surgical portals/exposures, and step-by-step descriptions of the procedure. Some of the photos, particularly of the open procedures, do not ideally illustrate the surgical anatomy as intended, which is not uncommon. The sections on positioning of the patient and pertinent surgical anatomy are welcome additions that many books do not include. Each article in the reference section at the end of each chapter is followed by a summary about the findings of each article, which is a time-saver.

Assessment

I like this book. It successfully accomplishes its purpose, providing a step-by-step guide to performing some of the most common shoulder and elbow operative procedures. The online version is a plus that not all books offer, and the videos provide a valuable “real-time” adjunct to better illustrate the surgical procedures covered in the book. More extensive video, as well as videos for more of the procedures, would be a welcome addition.

Doody’s Review Service Weighted Numerical Score: 92 – 4 Stars!