Peritoneoscopy is a valuable diagnostic procedure which for many years has been used extensively in Europe and South America. It has also been discussed in varying detail in several English language texts of gastroenterology, gastrointestinal endoscopy, and diseases of the liver. Nevertheless, despite reports of successful experiences by numerous American endoscopists, peritoneoscopy has not enjoyed widespread usage in this country and seems to have been underrated. If our difficulty in accepting this procedure has been due partly to the lack of an illustrated text exclusively devoted to peritoneoscopy, these two volumes would seem to fill a real need. They have been capably translated from Hungarian.
In the first volume Dr. Wittman initially presents background information and details pertaining to instrumentation and technique. The step-by-step discussions of procedures for safely producing pneumoperitoneum, introducing the peritoneoscope, and systematically inspecting the abdominal cavity, are especially well done. The indications, contraindications, dangers, and complications