Harrigan MR, Deveikis JP, eds. Handbook of Cerebrovascular Disease and Neurointerventional Technique. Humana Press; 2013; 850 pgs; 152 illustrations; $49.99
This is the second edition of the pocket-sized Handbook of Cerebrovascular Disease and Neurointerventional Technique, edited by Drs. Harrigan and Deveikis. Like the first edition, (previously reviewed in AJNR), the second edition is a densely packed and very informative handbook divided into 3 sections: 1) “Fundamentals,” 2) “Interventional Techniques,” and 3) “Specific Disease States.”
In the “Fundamentals” section, the authors detail normal and variant neurovascular anatomy from the aortic arch to branches of the middle cerebral arteries. Unique to the second edition, the authors have added angio-anatomic and angio-pathologic correlated examples. A very useful one is presented in the detailed and expanded “branches of the external carotid artery” section, whereby the authors describe the collateral branches that exist between the ascending pharyngeal artery and the vertebral artery—certainly an important collateral source to be aware of when confronted with vertebral artery occlusive disease, but critically important to be aware of during the performance of seemingly “low-risk” external carotid embolization procedures to avoid a catastrophic non-target embolization to the vertebrobasilar system.
Like the first edition, the second edition describes highly detailed neurovascular anatomy in outline format, with line drawings (many in color) and angiograms. The anatomy described is pertinent and detailed enough for the interventionalist and, therefore, like the rest of this book, is a must-read for trainees of interventional neuroradiology during their fellowships. It’s also an extremely valuable reference resource of neurointerventionalists throughout the course of the careers.
The authors should be commended for including the section “Tips for Preventing and Stopping a Cascade of Errors,” where they address the risks vs. benefits of performing procedures that may not be in the best interest of the patient. Have a plan B or plan C when something goes wrong, and encourage and accept input from everybody during procedures, including nurses, technologists, anesthesiologists, residents, fellows, and when appropriate, device company representatives, in order to avoid complications and adverse events.
The authors walk the reader step-by-step through procedures in the “Interventional Techniques” section with an attention to technical pearls once acquired only during a hands-on fellowship. That said, this handbook is not a substitute for fellowship training, nor is it a “cookbook” for the uninitiated. Rather, it provides the trainee with sufficiently detailed preparatory technical procedural information during fellowship.
As in the first edition, the authors take the reader through every procedure in exquisite detail, step-by-step, including indications, preprocedural evaluation, equipment orders and personnel needs, contrast considerations, technical intraprocedural pearls, catheter considerations, as well as detailed catheter and device manipulation techniques. This book is remarkably complete for the interventionalist. In fact, calling it a handbook simply describes the pocket-sized format. The content itself is as credible and as complete (if not more) than many other hardcover interventional neuroradiology introductory texts.
Compared to the first edition, the second edition has now expanded to 850 pages, from 760, which include not only the angio-anatomic/pathologic correlates discussed above but also updated clinical decision-making references based on more recent and better-performed clinical trials. In addition, there is a new chapter that serves as an introduction to basic interventional access techniques and has a special appendix on the neurointerventioal suite, primarily intended for newcomers to the angiosuite and for experienced interventionalists planning a new suite. Finally, the second edition has a slightly broader scope intended to be more relevant to an international audience.
It should be mentioned that this review was made using not only the traditional softcover handbook but also the electronic Kindle version. There are some benefits and drawbacks to both. First, the soft cover “handbook” has grown a bit too heavy and fat to carry around in one’s pocket. In addition, the font size is rather small and a bit fatiguing to read for longer periods of time. However, the e-book version has the advantage of being reformatted: the background and font size can be modified to be easier on one’s eyes. In addition, footnoted references (of which there are many), are hyperlinked to the reference, and in some situations the reference is also linked to the PubMed resource. In this format, the book reads well on a tablet, a computer, a Kindle device, and to some degree on a smartphone. In fact, it’s possible for it be available on multiple devices simultaneously and synchronized, and is therefore more likely to be available when and where you might need it. One drawback of this format, however, is that the index appears to lack page numbers and in this way is not functional. However, the electronic version has a very useful search function that makes up for this drawback. The softcover version has an excellent and thorough index section.
In summary, this is an excellent resource for every neurointerventionalist. It should be required reading for every training fellow and is a fabulous reference resource for the skilled, practicing interventionalist as well.
