The Handbook of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery edited by Michael Schulder and Chirag D. Gandhi brings together an international panel of experts in the field. The 47 chapters provide a comprehensive coverage of topics that include stereotactic frames, surgical navigation systems, radiosurgery, functional surgery for movement disorders, and epilepsy surgery.

     The authors do well in covering alternative approaches to a given clinical or technical problem. Alternative stereotactic frames are covered in six separate chapters with a chapter being devoted to frameless techniques. The subjects of target localization for movement disorders and the role of microelectrode recordings are covered less comprehensively compared to other recent books in this topic area. Disease states are well covered with the treatment of Parkinson's disease and epilepsy being especially comprehensive.

     The book does not avoid a measure of redundancy that is the bane of multi-author textbooks. The topic of thalamic stimulation versus thalamotomy does not deserve a separate chapter as it is already covered in other chapters. Certain discussions including a classification of pain and epilepsy are an attempt to make this text the only reference a neurosurgeon may need for reviewing this topic. However they are better covered in standard neurology textbooks. The space saved could have been used to cover advances in neuroimaging modalities that promise to further improve functional neurosurgery. Another omission is a chapter on post-operative programming of deep brain stimulators and baclofen pumps which would have made this handbook complete.

Ratings: (1-4, 4 being the highest)

Organization of information:    2   

Usefulness of book:     2

Suitable for intended audience:    3

Author’s objectives met:      3

Sufficient number of Figures/ illustrations:     2

Quality of Figures/ illustrations:    2

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1.     Intracranial Stereotactic Surgery:  Indications

Chapter 2.     Stereotactic Frames:  Technical Considerations

Chapter 3.     Stereotactic Surgery with the Radionics Frame

Chapter 4.     Stereotactic Surgery with the Leksell Frame

Chapter 5.     Stereotactic Surgery with the Zamorano-Dujovny Frame

Chapter 6.     Stereotactic Surgery with the Patil Frame

Chapter 7.     Frameless Stereotactic Systems:  General Considerations

Chapter 8.     Surgical Navigation with the BrainLAB System

Chapter 9.     Surgical Navigation with the Voyager System

Chapter 10.   Surgical Navigation with the OMI System

Chapter 11.   Surgical Navigation with the StealthStation

Chapter 12.   Stereotactic Radiosurgery:  Indications and General Technical Considerations 

Chapter 13.   Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Benign Tumors

Chapter 14.   Stereotactic Radiosurgery:  Gliomas

Chapter 15.   Stereotactic Radiosurgery:  Arteriovenous Malformations

Chapter 16.   Stereotactic Radiosurgery with the Gamma Knife

Chapter 17.   Stereotactic Radiosurgery with the X-Knife System

Chapter 18.   Stereotactic Radiosurgery with the Linac Scalpel

Chapter 19.   Stereotactic Radiosurgery with the BrainLab System

Chapter 20.   Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Intensity Modulation Radiotherapy

Chapter 21.   Stereotactic Radiosurgery with the Cyberknife

Chapter 22.   Movement Disorders:  Indications

Chapter 23.   Technical Considerations in Movement Disorders Surgery

Chapter 24.   Intractable Tremor:  Ablation versus Stimulation

Chapter 25.   Parkinsonianism:  Ablation Versus Stimulation

Chapter 26.   Surgery for Other Movement Disorders

Chapter 27.   Functional Neurosurgery Using the Radionics Stereoplan System  

Chapter 28.   Computer-Assisted Image-Guided Stereotaxis in Movement Disorder Surgery

Chapter 29.   Movement Disorder Surgery with the Leksell System

Chapter 30.   Movement Disorder Surgery Using the Zamorano-Dujovny Localizing System

Chapter 31.   Functional Radiosurgery with the Gamma Knife

Chapter 32.   Functional Radiosurgery with a Linac

Chapter 33.   Classification of Pain

Chapter 34.   Percutaneous Techniques for Trigeminal Neuralgia

Chapter 35.   Percutaneous Surgery for Atypical Facial Pain

Chapter 36.   Epidural Spinal Cord Stimulation:  Indications and Technique

Chapter 37.   Thalamic StimulationVersus Thalamotomy

Chapter 38.   Intrathecal Narcotics:  Spinal and Intraventricular

Chapter 39.   Cordotomy for Pain

Chapter 40.   Dorsal Root Entry Zone (DREZ) Lesioning for Pain

Chapter 41.   Dorsal Rhizotomy for Spasticity

Chapter 42.   Intrathecal Baclofen for Spasticity

Chapter 43.   Classification of Seizures Disorders

Chapter 44.   Anterior Temporal Lobectomy:  Indications and Technique

Chapter 45.   Corpus Callostomy:  Indications and Technique

Chapter 46.   Vagal Nerve Stimulation:  Indications and Technique

Chapter 47.   A Note on Intraoperative Imaging