Sabiston Textbook of Surgery: The Biological Basis of Modern Surgical Practice, 21st Edition

By Courtney M. Townsend, Jr., JR,MD

ISBN: 9780323640626

Pub Date: February 16th, 2021

Reviewed By: Carol Scott-Conner, MD, PhD, MBA (University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics)

Description

This 21st edition of a classic surgery textbook has been thoroughly updated and includes access to an electronic version that is enriched by videos. The previous edition was published in 2008, and rapid advances in the field amply justify this new edition.

Purpose

The foreword states that “the emphasis is on understanding the biologic basis of disease and presenting the most precise, state-of-the-art approach to treatment…a mandatory, efficient reference for any surgeon intent on expanding their knowledge.” The objectives of this book are truly worthy, and the book amply meets them. The use of “selected references” which carry annotations as to significance, in addition to a more comprehensive reference list, is a very nice feature. The online version, besides allowing portability, greatly enhances the print version by adding videos and hyperlinked references.

Audience

This is a book for students of surgery at all levels from medical student through resident/fellow. It is also an extremely useful reference for practicing physicians. Chapters begin with a lucid explanation of the problem, enhancing understanding by medical students, and then unfold in sufficient detail to satisfy the needs of residents/fellows and practicing surgeons. All of the authors and contributors are highly credible authorities in their field as well as skilled surgical educators.

Features

The book begins with introductory sections that cover regenerative medicine and safety, topics of great importance that are not always included in a book of this type. It then segues into perioperative management. Sections on trauma and critical care (including a chapter on mass casualty management) are followed by transplantation, oncology, and site-specific areas in a fairly standard progression. A highly selected group of “specialties in general surgery” provides just enough information on several areas, including fetal surgery.

Assessment

This is a much-needed update of a classic book. It has been completely revised and updated, and it remains true to the purpose of the original.

© Doody’s Review Service, 2021, Carol Scott-Conner, MD, PhD, MBA (University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics) Doody’s Score: 98-5 Stars!

Purchase Sabiston Textbook of Surgery: The Biological Basis of Modern Surgical Practice, 21st Edition here!