Stents in Endovascular Surgery. Basic Concepts and Techniques
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* David C. Taylor

**STENTS IN ENDOVASCULAR SURGERY. BASIC CONCEPTS AND TECHNIQUES.** Frank J. Criado. 124 pp. Illust. Future Publishing Company Inc., Armonk, NY. 1996. US$49.00

This book is a technical manual for vascular specialists (mainly vascular surgeons) who would like to start doing endovascular surgery or expand their endovascular expertise. Specifically, the text concerns the use of endovascular stents in the arterial and venous circulation.

The book covers the general topics of equipment, basic angioplasty techniques and basic stent types. There are separate chapters devoted to stent techniques in each vascular territory and a useful section on complications and trouble shooting.

The illustrations are excellent and complement the text well. They provide a step-by-step technical approach to a wide variety of applications of endovascular stents. The technical descriptions are accurate and complete.

From a negative standpoint, percutaneous angioplasty is not discussed in much detail and the use of stented endoluminal grafts for the treatment of aortic aneurysms — one of the most important new endovascular therapies — is not covered. Also, the book digresses into political discussion on the relative merits of vascular surgeons versus radiologists performing endovascular procedures, and this detracts from the overall value of the book.

On the whole, this is a good “how to” manual for vascular surgeons in this new area of treatment.