From Publishers Weekly Surgery can be scary. But Macho and Cable (a coauthor of Everyone's Guide to Cancer Treatment) take the mystery out of what happens when one is under the knife. Writing clearly and simply， and with helpful black-and-white illustrations， they explain why outpatient procedures-less costly， available advanced surgical techniques， smaller incisions， improved anesthetics， and better pain-control options-have replaced many hospital stays. But this also means that patients must take a more active role in decision-making and follow-up care. For starters， the authors suggest that people facing surgery get more than one opinion， ask the surgeon if the procedure is necessary and what alternatives may be available， and how long he or she has been performing that particular operation. Especially well written and reassuring is a chapter on anesthesia， which includes information about available drugs and the monitoring equipment an anesthesiologist or a certified registered nurse-anesthetist uses for patient safety and comfort during the procedure. They also discuss typical side-effects of surgery， the signs when something's going amiss and what to expect during recovery. This is must reading for anyone whose doctor is recommending outpatient surgery-and for family and friends who may need to help out as a patient recuperates. (Oct).Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information， Inc. From Library Journal Surgeon/educator Macho and coauthor Cable， along with distinguished contributors， have written a handy， informative guide to nearly every outpatient procedure performed today. Topics discussed include the evolution of outpatient surgery; choosing a surgeon and anesthesia; what to expect before， during， and after surgery; and preparing children for surgery， a particularly good section. Procedures for skin， breast， abdomen， hernia， arteries and veins， anorectal， eye， ear-nose-throat， plastic and reconstructive， orthopedic， hand， and gynecologic and urologic surgery are explained. A short glossary of terms follows. This makes a nice companion to Robert Youngson's The Surgery Book (LJ 10/1/93). Definitely a good buy for all health collections.Anne C. Tomlin， Auburn Memorial Hosp. Lib.， N.Y.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information， Inc. See all Editorial Reviews