The fourth edition of Cardiac Surgery in the Adult is a
collection of the most current knowledge and updated experiences of the
world's leading cardiovascular experts treating adults with acquired,
congenital, infectious, and traumatic diseases of the heart, including
chapters from experts in the perioperative and postoperative management of
patients.
Since the third edition, which was
published in 2007, there have been many changes in the field of
cardiovascular medicine. I believe this fourth edition will be a valuable
tool to all in our specialty to help us understand the best treatment
options available to our patients and how to master the skills to apply
these therapies.
In addition, chapters on
techniques long available to us for the treatment of all forms of adult
acquired cardiac disease have been updated to re-emphasize the importance of
the traditional approaches to heart disease. Video clip demonstrations of
complex operative procedures, which we began in the third edition, continue
in this edition and have increased in number.
I
have dedicated this edition of Cardiac Surgery in the Adult to my
surgical mentors. In this increasingly complex field of cardiovascular
surgery I want to emphasize the importance of mentors in the training of
surgical residents, fellows, and younger colleagues. In medical school Dr.
Norman Shumway inspired me to be a heart surgeon and taught me how to become
one. During my time at the National Heart Institute Dr. Andrew Glenn Morrow,
along with his medical cohort Dr. Eugene Braunwald, taught me how to be an
academic cardiothoracic surgeon. Dr. J. Englebert Dunphy from the University
of California taught me a great deal when I first began my surgical
training. And when I arrived at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston I
had the good fortune of working under Dr. Francis D. Moore, one of the
all-time great academic surgeons. My friend and colleague, Dr. John J.
Collins, Jr., gave me my first and only job as a cardiac surgeon, and we
worked together for over 30 years to create one of the best cardiac surgery
programs in the country. A more recent mentor is Dr. John A. Mannick, an
outstanding leader and superb vascular surgeon. All of these men had a huge
impact on my career. Without mentors we cannot learn the art and science of
cardiovascular medicine to the highest level of excellence.
My thanks go to many individuals who have assisted in many
ways to produce this volume. First and foremost, thanks to L. Henry “Hank”
Edmunds, MD, for his initial inspiration for the first incarnation of Cardiac
Surgery in the Adult and his trust in me to carry out his editorial
expertise. Thank you to the editorial staff at McGraw-Hill, especially Mr.
Brian Belval. A huge amount of gratitude goes to my executive assistant in
the Division of Cardiac Surgery at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Ann
Maloney, who has been extremely helpful in the organization of the logistics
and the publication minutia that is so important to a successful editorial
process. A special thanks to Dr. Thomas Ferguson, a cardiac surgical pioneer
and leader who has been president of both of the major American
cardiothoracic surgical organizations, for writing an outstanding foreword
to this edition.
Most importantly, we thank the
chapter authors, who are some of the busiest physicians and surgeons in the
world, for devoting their time and energy to produce superb chapters in
every area in a timely fashion.
Finally, thanks to
my family—Roberta, Leslie, Jennifer, Stephen, Carly, and Rachel—for
their support, patience, and love through the production of Cardiac
Surgery in the Adult, Fourth Edition.
Lawrence
H. Cohn, MD
Boston, Massachusetts