A large cross-section of the world’s great and good in colorectal surgery have been enticed, inveigled, I suspect at times brow-beaten, to produce this tour de force. The editors, themselves famous for their own extensive contributions in this area, must be congratulated for their ?ne achievements. Every card-carrying specialist needs a reference book of this sort. My own are well worn by many years’ reference, for when confronted by big problems, big issues, senior clinicians must be able to lay their hands on a well-thumbed old favourite: not a small,“where are we now” sort of book, or an exam crammer, but on one that is large, sedate and of “traditional build. ” Rather than being a supergiant covering all of colorectal surgery, this book has focused on the broad structural investigation of the anorectum and on the focused management of largely “functional” problems. And it has done so in style. For this is a core area of specialist practice;your more general colleagues may think twice before referring you new cases of cancer and in?ammatory bowel disease (both also central areas in colorectal surgery), but they will not hesitate in referring the patients whose inves- gation and management are described here. And they will expect you to know how to deal with them. These are some of the most challenging patients to manage. Rightly have the editors covered the physiological areas,rightly the psychological issues, rightly the medicolegal aspects: here is the making of a specialist―the sword and the shield.
From the reviews:
"It is indeed a tour de force ... . The editors ... have chosen to explore ... challenging aspects of anorectal dysfunction. ... It has been conceived and written as a specialist text ... and as such has been highly successful in achieving this goal. Clarity of text accompanied by pertinent illustrations and line drawings allow the clinician to read for interest or ‘dip in’ for reference ... . I have little doubt that it will be a well-used addition to my bookshelf ... ." (Alastair C. J. Windsor, Diseases of the Colon & Rectum, Vol. 49 (10), 2006)
"This book comprises two sections, the first dedicated to anorectal testing and the second to clinical anorectal assessment. Sixty-seven authors have contributed to this comprehensive reference book on anorectal pathophysiology and the editors are to be congratulated on its publication. ... the editors have produced a most comprehensive guide to the identification and assessment of anorectal dysfunction." (Ann Branigan, British Journal of Surgery, Vol. 93 (4), 2006)
