Tab Article

Christopher Troianos and his contributors have created a well-illustrated and referenced book on anesthesia for heart patients. As he outlines in the preface, the purpose of this new book is “to advance the care and anesthetic management of patients with cardiac disease regardless of whether they are undergoing cardiac or noncardiac surgery.” To facilitate that, they have divided the book into four sections. The first addresses perioperative care of the cardiac patient, including preoperative evaluation, cardiovascular medications, intraoperative monitoring, postoperative care, and pain management. The second section of the book provides information on the anesthetic management of the cardiac disease processes, including coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, electrophysiologic problems, congenital heart lesions, and less common cardiac problems. The third section addresses topics specifically applicable to cardiac surgery. The fourth section addresses the issues in the anesthetic management of a patient with cardiac disease specifically undergoing noncardiac surgery.

Clearly, it is a wonderful resource for residents and fellows training in patients with cardiovascular disease because of its strong educational bent and structure. The experienced practitioner may also find it useful. In summary, this book is an excellent addition to the libraries of individuals who have sufficient funding to buy a textbook devoted solely to anesthesia for the cardiac patient and who wish to learn some of the techniques in a highly readable format.