Book reviews from Leigh Spielberg MD with special focus on cataract surgery

CHALLENGING CASES Cataract surgery remains the bread and butter of most ophthalmologists’ practices. Yet, despite the great advances in knowledge, experience, and technology available, challenging cases can still lead to complications, even in the most 
experienced hands. Challenges in Cataract Surgery (Springer), by Wan Soo Kim and Kyeong Hwan Kim differs from most textbooks in that it covers only the most difficult aspects of phaco surgery. No time is spent discussing the basics of the phaco machine, the anatomy of the eye, or the standard steps involved in a normal procedure. Instead, each chapter in this 125-page book covers one specific problem: intumescent, brunescent, posterior polar, post-traumatic and uveitis cataracts; small-pupil surgery; lens and IOL (sub)luxation; and phaco in highly myopic, hypermetropic and vitrectomised eyes, among others. Several related advanced procedures, such as secondary IOL fixation and artificial iris implantation are also described. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative considerations are discussed in every chapter. The book is illustrated with many surgical photographs as well as schematic illustrations of, for example, the effect of irrigation flow blockage by a small pupil, leading to the collapse of the capsular bag and subsequent rupture by the phaco tip. When fine details are difficult to discern, such as those seen in a brunescent cataract in an eye with a brown iris, surgical photographs are accompanied by drawings illustrating the critical features of the anatomy and procedural steps. Once we have finished our formal surgical training, we have to learn the rest on our own, and any help we can get is greatly appreciated. This book is intended for cataract surgeons who have gained proficiency in standard phaco procedures and who are looking to elevate their skills to the next level. ALL YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT COLOUR VISION Colour vision is a marvellous sub discipline in vision research,” begins the preface to a new release in the Springer Series in Vision Research, Human Colour Vision. Edited by Jan Kremers, Rigmor C Baraas, and N Justine Marshall, the book is not only a very comprehensive overview of our current knowledge regarding colour vision, with chapters like, “Colour Constancy and Contextual Effects on Colour Appearance.” It is also full of interesting titbits of information that some of us may have noticed in passing, but never gave much thought. For example, most children acquire a reliable knowledge of nine of the 11 basic colours around the age of 36 months. Brown and grey are more difficult, coming up to nine months later. The most interesting chapter for most ophthalmologists is “Colour Vision in Clinical Practice,” which describes the diseases of colour vision, their causes, assessment methods, and management. This 350-page, text-dense book is intended for vision researchers and for those of us with a healthy dose of curiosity. WHAT TO DO IN AN OPHTHALMIC EMERGENCY “Facing an emergency situation where improper management can rapidly worsen the condition leading to blindness or even death of the patient is every ophthalmologist’s nightmare.” So begins Emergencies of the Orbit and Adnexa (Springer), by Bipasha Mukherjee and Hunter Yuen, a new handbook that covers a very broad spectrum of pathologies, from subluxated globes and adnexal injuries due 
to animal bites to more commonly encountered problems like dacryocystitis 
and orbital fractures. For general ophthalmologists and those of us generally not called on to manage severe orbital and adnexal emergencies, the first two chapters are a great way to get started. They outline the general approach and the systemic management in trauma and other emergencies. Each of the following 50 chapters covers a single, very specific topic such as the “Investigation of Eyelid and Lacrimal Injuries” and “Canaliculitis and Intracanalicular Foreign Bodies.” This is an excellent reference text for general ophthalmologists and a good place to start reading for orbital and oculoplastic surgery fellows. LATEST ON CXK FOR KERATOCONUS AND CORNEAL ECTASIAS Before 1998, when the first patient was treated with Corneal Collagen Cross Linking (CXL), the only options for keratoconus and corneal ectasias were observation and keratoplastic surgery. Since then, a wealth of knowledge has been accumulated. Corneal Collagen Cross Linking (Springer), by Mazen M Sinjab and Arthur B Cummings is a 280-page discussion on the current state-of-the-art of CXL and it aims to present the reader with all this information in one place. All aspects of CXL are covered, including the diagnostic tools required to evaluate ectactic corneal diseases, the fundamentals of CXL, combinations of CXL with other procedures, the clinical results in both adults and children, and the potential complications. The future of CXL is discussed in the last chapter. This book is intended for ambitious residents, cornea fellows, current cornea specialist, and general ophthalmologists who are considering incorporating CXL into their practice and would like up-to-date information in a well-written and convenient package.