Interventional Cardiology: Future Directions

bibliography that is either annotated or referenced directly by the text would be preferable. I do not recommend this book as a guide to the treatment of cardiac emergencies. In 1978, after first being refined in patients with peripheral vascular disease, the technique of angioplasty was applied to coronary vessels. Since that time, the field of interventional cardiology has virtually exploded. Angioplasty now enjoys widespread acceptance, obviating the need for saphenous vein coronary bypass grafting in many patients. Catheter-based interventional techniques now are also being applied to the treatment of valvular disease. While these procedures have eliminated the need for major surgical procedures in some patients, they are not devoid of morbidity and mortality. It is only now, after their use has become more widespread, that the complications that may arise are being understood. Interventional Cardiology: Future Directions focuses on the latest research and development in the field: laser angioplasty, balloon valvulo-plasty, balloon angioplasty, and other mechanical devices for improving blood flow and valvular and mechanical function. The volume is divided into 40 chapters, and it has over 100 contributors. While this large number of contributors adds to the depth of the text, it also, unfortunately, detracts from the cohesiveness and readability of the work. The individual chapters fail to follow a consistent format. Both animal and human data are presented. Furthermore , the lack of organization results in repetition. Each chapter is followed by a list of references, which often duplicate references in the previous chapter. The format of the chapters falls somewhere between a scientific paper and a textbook-style review article. The book is loosely organized into sections such as angioscopy and laser techniques, but there are no actual subheadings or section divisions. Most notably, basic introductory material is not included for the individual sections. Historical aspects are interspersed throughout and are at times repetitive. Topics range from basic subjects such as platelet aggregation to technical aspects of different catheter models. The photographs and figures included are similarly varied. Thus, the major weakness of the book is its lack of cohesiveness. Despite these shortcomings, Interventional Cardiology: Future Directions does represent a unique compilation of state-of-the-art experimental techniques in interven-tional cardiology, and the authors have done a commendable job of bringing together work from an impressive scope of contributors. They do not specify the readership to whom the work is addressed, but I suspect it is intended for an …