More than 200 authors have contributed to this massive work of 94 chapters primarily devoted to indications for operations, intraoperative considerations, technical details, and results of these techniques. It represents a modernization and considerable expansion of the earlier Current Techniques in Operative Neurosurgery.
In a number of places, alternative procedures are described, but by no means are all of them included. For instance, Cloward's operation for anterior cervical diskectomy is omitted in favor of that of Smith and Robinson. Some chapters have no illustrations at all (eg, Robinson's chapter on approaches to the cervical spine, Clark's chapter on the occipital tentorial approach to the pineal region, and Patterson's chapter on arteriovenous malformations) but most are amply illustrated, often in great detail.
The list of authors includes a number well recognized in the subspecialties of which they write. Included are specialists in anesthesiology, instrumental technology, ophthalmology, orthopedic surgery, otolaryngology, plastic surgery,