Media Type: Textbook

Synopsis: This book is part of a series of monographs published by Oxford University Press in cooperation with the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Each volume is authored by recognized “real-world” experts, in this case by a three-generation lineage of well-regarded oculoplastic surgeons. The book is logically-organized by anatomic structure and is liberally-illustrated with high-quality color drawings and photographs. Each chapter features multiple-bulleted “Clinical Applications” that should be useful to novice and experienced surgeons alike. Although the drawings contain occasional inaccuracies and the text has several typographical errors, weaknesses otherwise are few and criticisms are inconsequential.

Target Audience: Surgeons who operate on the eyelids, eyebrows, lacrimal drainage system, and orbit.

Review: In cooperation with the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Oxford University Press has published a series of 18 monographs covering major themes in ophthalmology and its subspecialties. This monograph, in its second edition, is authored by a three-generation lineage of well-respected oculoplastic surgeons and it complements another monograph in the series entitled Surgery of the Eyelids, Lacrimal System, and Orbit . The goal of Surgical Anatomy of the Ocular Adnexa is to provide greater detail about the regional anatomy from the perspective of clinical diagnosis and treatment. The book is logically-organized into 7 chapters according to anatomic structure or function, and features multiple-bulleted “Clinical Applications” with most sections. The applications range from basic concepts to insights that will be educational to seasoned practitioners. The authors’ writing style is somewhat colloquial and conversational, which an individual reader may regard either as a strength or a weakness. An indisputable strength of the monograph is the high quality of the color drawings and photographs which depict clinical features, cadaver dissections, and surgical anatomy. Weaknesses are few and of little practical consequence: several drawings inaccurately depict a muscular insertion of the superior oblique tendon onto the globe, for example. Additionally, there are a surprising number of typographical errors for a product from the Oxford University Press. Readers should be aware that the book is not intended to be a definitive reference. For instance, citations are not provided in the text to support measurements, percentages, and other numeric designations but rather each chapter simply concludes with a list of “Suggested Readings.” Overall, though, the volume succeeds in its aim of providing clinically useful information to surgeons who operate on the anatomically elegant and complex structures surrounding the eye.