Editor: Baljendra S. Kapoor and Jonathan M. Lorenz
Publisher: Thieme Medical Publishers, 2018
ISBN-13: 978-1626233744
Hardcover Price: $82.99 (also available in eBook) Pages: 322

Digestive Disease Interventions, 1st Edition, edited by Kapoor and Lorenz, is co-authored by a diverse group of experts in interventional radiology (IR), gastroenterology, and surgery whose aim is to provide a comprehensive review of the management and treatment of gastrointestinal disorders with an emphasis on image-guided gastrointestinal interventions.

This book is divided into 30 chapters. An introductory chapter discusses the application of cutting-edge technology, such as cone-beam CT (CBCT), to revolutionize the delivery of transarterial liver-directed therapy. The remaining chapters cover a wide array of gastrointestinal diseases and their interventions including portal hypertension managed by transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) and balloon retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO), nonvariceal upper and lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage, mesenteric ischemia, biliary strictures, malignant obstructive jaundice, acute cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, choledocholithiasis, liver and pancreatic cancer, islet cell transplantation, bariatric embolization, and pediatric gastrointestinal interventions.

The structure of each chapter is straightforward with logical progression. Chapters focus on a specific pathology such as portal hypertension, typically beginning with foundational knowledge on anatomy and pathophysiology followed by discussion on clinical patient evaluation including risk factors, complications, and treatment options associated with a disease. Chapters detailing specific interventions, such as TIPS, cover pertinent aspects from a procedural standpoint— the indications, contraindications, procedural steps, and complications. Each chapter ends with a summary of the material followed by a list of references. Supplemental material is appropriately inserted within the text of each chapter. Charts, figures, and graphs provide a consolidated overview of the text and highlight treatment algorithms and any landmark trials or current studies of significant impact. Images are vast, ranging from cartoon renditions of anatomy to diagnostic procedural X-ray, magnetic resonance, and computed tomography images.

This text is thorough and written with great detail. The comprehensive nature of each chapter could not be applauded enough and will benefit IR trainees greatly. The book provides readers with a global picture of how to diagnose, manage, and treat patients with a particular gastrointestinal disorder. Further, the text does a nice job detailing the key knowledge base necessary for understanding and performing image-guided gastrointestinal interventions. Thinking ahead to subsequent editions of this book, a section highlighting key points within each chapter may benefit readers. In addition, a supplemental book that provides clinical scenarios and practice questions may complement this book greatly, allowing trainees to apply the comprehensive understanding of the content.

In summary, this book covers a broad range of topics and affords a detailed review of a wide array of gastrointestinal pathology, ranging from common everyday encounters to more complex, rare pathologies. It brings light to a rapidly expanding and promising sector of medicine whereby IR play a major role. With the paradigm shift transitioning IR physicians from consult proceduralists to clinical specialists, this book fosters this notion by providing IR trainees with a wide clinical knowledge base specifically relevant to gastrointestinal diseases. Practitioners outside the realm of IR may also benefit from this book by understanding how interventionalists work in concert with their colleagues to manage and treat patients with a broad range of complex gastrointestinal disorders.

Jeff Wang, B.S. Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University North Chicago, Illinois

Ravi N. Srinivasa, M.D. Associate Professor of Clinical Radiology Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center Los Angeles, CA

John Pohl, M.D., Book Editor, is on the Editorial Board of Practical Gastroenterology