Carotid Artery Stenting: The BasicsJacqueline SawNew York, Humana Press, 2009, hardbound, $189.00, 276 pp.

Carotid Artery Stenting: The Basics, edited by JacquelineSaw, MD, FRCPC, is an introduction to and comprehen-sive overview of carotid artery stenting (CAS). As anintroductory text, the book targets interventionalists newto the field of CAS, with a focus on the practical funda-mentals of the procedure as well as the current literaturesupporting its use. The panel of authors consists of aneclectic collaboration of radiologists, neurologists, cardiolo-gists, and surgeons that allows for a multidisciplinary andcomprehensive evaluation of this technique. The text is notunique in its subject or scope, but it is effective in its placeas a thorough primer.

The book is divided into five sections and 15 chaptersthat include detailed discussions of both the theory andpractice of CAS. The book begins with a section detailingthe disease prevalence and treatment options, with anexcellent breakdown of the current literature. The subse-quent three sections address the practical aspects of CAS,including laboratory setup, relevant anatomy, usefultools, patient preparation, and a step-by-step approach to

The author has not identified a conflict of interest.

© SIR, 2010

DOI: 10.1016/j.jvir.2010.02.003

958

the performance of the procedure. The last section fo-cuses on complications and follow-up.

The positive aspects of the book far outnumber itsshortcomings. Although the book is not unique in itssubject matter, it does stand out in the quality of its proseand fulfills its purpose as a comprehensive introductorytext. The discussions regarding the current literature areinsightful and relatively unbiased, both of which wouldbe helpful to those novice to this field trying to under-stand the indications for the procedure. The technicalinstructions are unambiguous and detailed, making it avaluable reference for that same population. The illustra-tions and tables are of very high quality and augment thetext nicely. Readers should note, however, that some ofthe procedural aspects are biased (understandably) to-ward the author’s preference, giving some of the text adogmatic feel that may slightly misrepresent of the vari-ability of some procedural aspects. Also, it is unlikely toadd much to the knowledge of an experienced practitio-ner in the field.

Carotid Artery Stenting: The Basics represents an excel-lent primer of the endovascular management of carotidartery stenosis that would also serve as a concise refer-ence on this subject. As such, the price is appropriate.

—reviewed by John R. Gaughen, Jr, MD