Media Type: Textbook

Synopsis: Invaluable in its educational content, Learning Strabismus Surgery: A case-based approach provides general ophthalmology residents, fellows and practicing clinicians a view into the thought process of expert strabismus surgeons in approaching and solving strabismus cases. Each one of the 52 real clinical cases, from the common to the most complex, has been chosen to demonstrate fundamental strabismus concepts. The book comes with a unique collection of surgical videos. Reading this book is indeed the closest you can get to attending a strabismus fellowship.

Target Audience: Ophthalmology Residents, Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Fellows, Pediatric Ophthalmologists

Review: Dr Hunter (Ophthalmologist-in-Chief at Boston Children’s Hospital) and Dr Cestari (Director of Ophthalmology Fellowship education at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary) leaders in their respective fields of pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus and neuro-ophthalmology together with associate editors Dr Nihalani and Dr Wong have compiled a list of 52 well-reasoned adult and pediatric strabismus cases chosen from their own clinical practices. The book is intended for general ophthalmology residents, pediatric ophthalmology and neuro-ophthalmology fellows and any practicing ophthalmologist with an interest in strabismus.

The book has 52 chapters, each chapter presents a case. The format of presentation mirrors a physician-patient encounter. Each chapter is structured similarly so that the reader is taken sequentially through all steps of management starting with past history to surgical outcome. The book is densely illustrated and includes plenty of actual patient photographs. One of the most valuable aspects of the book is that at each step the surgeon discloses in detail his thought process for choosing a treatment strategy over another. Each case is followed by a section where key points are further discussed and explained and by a set of questions with answers to further re-enforce key concepts. The cases where chosen for their educational value and range from routine cases to the most complex. Unique to this invaluable book is a collection of surgical videos. At the end of each chapter there is an updated list of references. Appendices include surgical dosages and instrument lists.

The book is intended to expose the reader to the kind of knowledge a strabismus fellows is exposed to over the course of a year. The book is best read a little at a time and its structure allows for this. A minor criticism is that on occasion alternative/conflicting views on how to approach a problem are advocated by different surgeons. However, far from a negative this further replicates the experience of a multi-professor fellowship.

In summary, this book is like no other in the field in that it uncovers the thought process for decision making of expert strabismus surgeons in a very wide range of clinical and surgical situations. A step beyond atlases, no other source in the field provides access to a video collection. This book has utmost educational value and is indeed the closest you can get to attending a strabismus fellowship.