Such a well written book, this is an absolute must for your reference collection. The demand for aesthetic surgery is rapidly growing and this book is a concise haven of knowledge not only for those training in plastics but also for non-surgical specialists that are looking for more insight into the surgical aspects of aesthetics.
It is comprehensive but importantly succinct, lightweight and easy to carry around in your scrubs. It makes for easy reading with illustrations, bullet points and pearls of wisdom at the end of each chapter.
The book itself consists of nine sections, which have been co-authored. Starting with the basics, the initial chapters discuss artistry of aesthetics, photography and the medico-legal aspects of practice are also covered. Photography itself is such a key principle of aesthetics from lighting to standardisation and positioning, it’s nice to see a chapter dedicated to this field. Part II is dedicated to anaesthesia, again a massively important topic but one that is often foreseen in other aesthetic books. The third section overlooked on safety, reducing complications and venous-thromboembolism prevention in surgical patients. Part IV is all about skincare. Anatomy, physiology and disorders are succinctly covered. The section then goes on to discuss cosmeceuticals, skincare products such as retinol, botanicals and SPF. It even mentions ethnic skin which has differing needs to Caucasian skin. There is a section that goes through the finances, marketing and setting up of a medi-spa, great for any young surgeons looking to develop their own private practice. Part V covers minimally invasive techniques, from dermabrasion, lasers and chemical peels to toxin, fillers and fat grafting. Again, very well written but at a basic level as the emphasis of this book is more on aesthetic surgery. Part VII on facial analysis and anatomy is fantastic, very well written and with great explanations of the tear trough deformity, brow lift and blepharoplasty including a chapter dedicated to Asian blepharoplasty. The anatomical diagrams are great and a real asset to this book. Face and neck lift chapters are excellent along with rhinoplasty that contains a section for secondary and ethnic rhinoplasty. Lip augmentation is discussed along with tackling issues like naso-labial folds, marionette lines and genioplasty. There is an extensive section discussing breast surgery from augmentation to mastopexy and even gynaecomastia, again with a good focus on anatomy and useful diagrams. The final part is all about body contouring from liposuction, medial thigh lift, abdominoplasty to gender affirmation and female genital surgery. A chapter covers body contouring specific to bariatric weight loss patients which is particularly helpful.
All in all, this is a fantastic pocket guide, easy to read and a useful reference for plastic surgery trainees.
