The development of modern medicine and the demands of contemporary society have challenged the current focus of management of cardiac failure. An understanding of the traditional approach to management of this disease is no longer enough. The concept of advanced heart failure is spreading beyond heart transplantation to centers that do not perform transplants, where the future is bright for the management of heart failure. Cardiology departments of top-level hospitals should aspire to adopt these changes for the benefit of the catchment population they serve.
This book is of great interest for all physicians and institutions who wish to take up the exhilarating challenge of caring for patients with advanced heart failure. It is written in a simple and explanatory way such that not only experts in heart failure but also cardiology residents and physicians in training may find the book interesting. The book is edited by Dr Michael J. Domanski, Dr Mandeep R. Mehra, and Dr Marc A. Pfeffer, of the universities of Toronto and Harvard. There are 39 collaborators, all with an excellent reputation, such as Dr Ileana Piña, Dr Thomas Di Salvo, and Dr Blase Carabello, while Eugene Braunwald himself has written the prolog.
The book includes 24 chapters spread over 456 pages. The compact design makes the book easy to carry around despite the exhaustive material, and the design is elegant and attractive for the reader. In addition, an online version is available so that the reader can view and download chapters, as well as figures and tables, or put together slide decks.
The book is organized in such a way that it covers the details of advanced heart failure, starting from the pathophysiology of advanced heart failure and moving on to its epidemiology and impact on health services and budgets. Therapeutic approaches are then dealt with in depth, from medical treatments to resynchronization, heart transplantation, and ventricular support devices. Specific conditions such as right ventricular dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension are also covered. The analysis is made from a multidisciplinary perspective that includes basic research, imaging techniques, electrophysiology, hemodynamics, and cardiovascular surgery. This dissemination of information about the current and future outlook for advanced heart failure is linked to topics of real clinical interest such as complications associated with transplantation as well as ventricular support devices, strategies for dealing with these complications, and the close follow-up required by these patients.
We therefore consider this book a point of reference for all specialists working in the field of advanced heart failure. The book provides an in-depth view of the characteristics, practical aspects, and therapeutic opportunities in this complex disease.
CONFLICTS OF INTERESTE. Abu-Assi is an Associated Editor of Revista Española de Cardiología.