The ASCRS Manual of Colon and Rectal Surgery

Jaime L. Bohl

David E Beck, Patricia L Roberts, John L Rombeau, Michael J Stamos, Steven D Wexner. , editors. New York: Springer. 1022 pp. $69.99 2009.

The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery (ASCRS), an international leader in colon and rectal disease, has developed from their landmark 2007 textbook a handbook intended to serve as a pocket resource for busy clinicians, residents, and students of colon and rectal disease.

The five senior editors are recognized leaders in colon and rectal surgery education. They invited 123 surgeons—experts in the field, many of them contributors to the original textbook—to develop abstracted versions of the textbook chapters. These 56 chapters outline the core curriculum for colon and rectal surgery training and include specific disease entities that the colon and rectal practitioner will encounter in clinic and in the operating room, as well as anatomy, physiology, genetics, radiology, perioperative management, and ethical and legal considerations of surgical practice.

The ASCRS manual is comprehensive yet straightforward. The bullet points are in sentence form rather than an outline or lists of concepts, as often seen in other review books. At the same time, longer discussions of research trials and operations have been omitted. Thus, the reader is able to grasp the core concepts for each topic without distraction.

However, this handbook serves as more than a condensed version of the original textbook. Chapters have been updated to reflect the most recent guidelines and research findings for the management of colon and rectal disease. In addition, treatment outcomes are summarized in table format for quick review. However, the most illustrative diagrams and treatment algorithms have been reprinted from the textbook. The ASCRS manual also includes a quick, easily referenced index and table of contents.

The ASCRS Manual of Colon and Rectal Surgery is the first of its kind, offering a streamlined review of colon and rectal surgery research, disease overviews, and treatment guidelines. Busy clinicians and trainees will certainly find this manual essential for their day-to-day practice and education.