Media Type: Textbooks and DVDs

Synopsis: Drs McCord and Codner have written an excellent two-volume text entitled Eyelid and Periorbital Surgery . In the preface the authors state that the purpose is to describe the approach and technique to a variety of cosmetic and reconstructive eyelid and periorbital problems. The intended audience ranges from “entry level” surgeons to advanced surgeons from many subspecialties who deal with periocular soft tissue surgery. Both Dr. McCord and Dr. Codner are well-respected in their fields of oculoplastic and plastic surgery respectively. Their intent to combine the individual perspectives from each field into a single text offers any surgeon interested in this topic a great opportunity for learning.

Target Audience: Any serious oculoplastic surgeon or specialist interested in periorbital surgery.

Review: The book is a beautifully illustrated two-volume set with approximately 1200 pages. Volume One focuses on aesthetic surgery. Volume Two deals with reconstructive eyelid procedures. Seven additional contributors have provided extra expertise. Paging through the book, the reader is struck by the volume of material and the high quality of the illustrations, including superbly rendered color diagrams and many excellent photographs.

Volume One begins with Part One – The Fundamentals. The first chapter is Classical Surgical Eyelid Anatomy. As you might expect based on the authors’ background, this section includes excellent periorbital anatomic descriptions and diagrams of facial anatomy including the facial muscles, osseocutaneous ligaments and fat pads. Chapters on Eyelid function, Basic Principles of Eyelid Surgery and Tissue Grafts follow. I enjoyed reading these sections and picked up several tips including the use of the running vertical mattress suture discussed. The section on tissue grafts is very useful, especially for a beginning surgeon. Part Two is entitled Aesthetic Surgery which comprises the majority of this volume. The concepts and techniques presented on brow, upper and lower eyelid and midface surgery are well done. Volume One ends with chapters on complications, Asian blepharoplasty, botox and fillers, and fat grafting. The aesthetic section is very complete and highly useful. As a whole, it is not for beginning surgeons, rather for those with significant experience in eyelid surgery.

Volume Two describes the “traditional” reconstructive procedures in oculoplastic surgery: ptosis, eyelid reconstruction, trauma, entropion, ectropion, facial nerve palsy, eyelid changes in Graves’ disease and pediatric eyelid anomalies. The authors have included a well-written section on eyelid malignancies. As in Volume One, there are many useful diagrams and photos that make the concepts and techniques understandable. Both beginning and advanced techniques are included.

The highlights of this book are its completeness in detail and wonderful illustrations describing eyelid procedures. Each chapter has a “Key Points” summary and an annotated bibliography. Four DVDs are included which are extremely helpful in preparing for surgery. The book is particularly good with regard to more advanced aesthetic surgery techniques. There is no material for those interested in lacrimal or orbital surgery.

Having “grown up” with the early editions of Clinton McCord’s Oculoplastic Surgery text, this book is especially fun for me to own. It is well-written and well-illustrated. It is a must for any serious oculoplastic surgeon or specialist interested in periorbital surgery.