Sekhar LN, Fessler RG, eds. Atlas of Neurosurgical Techniques. Vols 1 and 2. 2nd ed. Thieme; 2015; 1566 pp; 2775 ill; $449.99
While a majority of neuroradiologists, except those in interventional neuroradiology, may not be enticed to purchase their own personal copy of the 2-volume set Atlas of Neurosurgical Techniques: Brain, it should be recognized by all those in the clinical neurosciences that this deals with for more than “techniques”. Edited by Drs. Sekhar (University of Washington) and Fessler (Rush University Medical Center), this 1566-page book set is the second edit (prior publication 2006) of this authoritative text, and it fulfills all expectations.
Volume 1 covers in great detail General Principles and Basic Techniques (8 chapters), Aneurysms (19 chapters), AVMs (13 chapters), Occlusive and Hemorrhagic Vascular Disease (6 chapters), Intraventricular Tumors (2 chapters), Pineal Region Lesions (4 chapters), Cranial Base Lesions (27 chapters), Epilepsy and Functional Pain Disorders (3 chapters), Cranial Nerve Compression Syndromes (8 chapters), Cranio-Cerebral Trauma (2 chapters), Hydrocephalus (2 chapters), CNS Infections (1 chapter), Stereotatic Radiosurgery (5 chapters). A multitude of video clips (over 150) accompany the 2 volumes. One accesses those videos via codes given with the book (separate code for each volume). As one reads material in each section, they are referred back to an appropriate video.
Considerable space (310 page) is devoted to aneurysms and their treatment, and with the drawings, the associated angiograms, and the pre/postoperative imaging, one develops an understanding of the techniques (open and endovascular) used in both common and complex aneurysms. Each chapter in this section (and, in fact, throughout the entire set of books) follows about the same—but not identical—outline, with items of interest to radiologists, such as case material (history, imaging, procedure), patient selection, choices for approach, vivid intraoperative photographs (where applicable), operative approaches, drawings as needed, and postprocedural imaging.
In other chapters, the neuroradiologist learns landmarks of importance to the surgeon when approaches to abnormalities are devised—for example, to skull base lesions or cavernous sinus lesions. While topics such as this have been presented at ASNR meetings, here we see exactly why anatomical identifications are important. By and large, the imaging is of good quality and allows the correlation with the operative procedures.
How much more effective a radiologist can be by knowing the tactics used by the neurosurgical team is obvious when reading through this book. From an academic standpoint, preparing for neurosurgery work rounds or grand rounds would be assisted with this book as a ready reference.
At the next ASNR or RSNA, stop by the Thieme booth and look through these 2 books. You will quickly realize how important it would be for either a neuroradiology section or an individual neuroradiologist to purchase them.
