Dr. Asha Dalal is the Professor and Head of the Department at the TN Medical College and the BYL Nair Hospital, Mumbai. She is also a Visiting Consultant at the HN Reliance Foundation Hospital. She is the President of AMOGS (Association of Maharashtra Obstetrics and Gynecological Societies), a UNICEF expert in PPTCT, member of the State Task Force on maternal death review, an ex-ad hoc Chairman of the Board of Studies in Ob/Gyn, Mumbai University, and has also been a National editor of The Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology of India between 2011 and 2014. She has also been an ex-member of the managing committees of the MOGS and the IAGE. She has also been the ex-secretary of the west zone chapter of ISOPARB. Dr Dalal has been a teacher and examiner at the undergraduate and postgraduate level in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Mumbai University and the MUHS for more than three decades. She has been an inspector for the MCI on several occasions. She has had an excellent scholastic career with gold medals in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the third MBBS and the DGO examinations. She stood first at the MD (Ob/Gyn) examinations as well. Dr Dalal has participated as an invited speaker innumerable times at national and international conferences. She has organised three international workshops in endoscopic surgery and has participated as faculty in several operative workshops all over the country. She has to her credit more than thirty publications in esteemed journals. Dr Dalal has a deep interest in endoscopic surgery and infertility. Her personal hobby though is reading—both fiction and nonfiction.
This edition of D C Dutta’s Textbook of Gynaecology is a very comprehensive basic textbook in gynaecology for undergraduate students, postgraduate students and even practicing physicians.
It is simply written and easy to understand. Several newer topics have been added and discussed.
The POP classification in prolapse and the use of meshes for prolapse repair, AUB, colposcopy, chemotherapy in cancer to name a few. There is a chapter titled ‘‘Special Topics’’ where leucorrhoea, pelvic pain and low backache are discussed. There is a need to address these issues which are common complaints in any gynaecology OPD for teaching to be practically oriented.
The addition of adolescent gynaecology, sexual dysfunction and contraception in detail is welcome.
Recent advances in immunotherapy, gene therapy, operative gynaecological endoscopy and current topics like stem cells are discussed, and this gives the reader an overview of these topics.
In the practical gynaecology section, instruments, specimens, pictures of imaging studies are presented in great detail with accompanying questions and answers which have an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) format which helps students in preparing for examination.
The several photographs, tables, algorithms, diagrams, boxes and imaging study pictures make understanding topics easier.
The addition of a DVD which contains the two most common surgeries in gynaecology, abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and vaginal hysterectomy adds value to this book.
This book, ‘‘D C Dutta’s Textbook of Obstetrics’’ like its previous editions is a sound textbook for undergraduate students, postgraduate students, practicing obstetricians and midwives.
The format is simple readable and easy to understand. This edition is updated and includes a lot of information about recent advances.
The chapters on Foetal Physiology, Preconceptional Counseling, Prenatal Genetic Counseling Screening and Diagnosis are comprehensive. In most obstetric conditions, international guidelines like those of RCOG, ACOG, WHO, FIGO, NICHD, CDC and NICE are mentioned.
In ‘‘Special Topics’’ two topics which are very important in managing a patient, intrapartum monitoring and obstetric shock, are well covered. Also issues like Critical Care, Day Care Obstetrics, Legal and Ethical Issues Audit in Obstetrics and Imaging in Obstetrics, which an undergraduate student often neglects but are so important today are discussed.
There is a separate mention of the PC&PNDT Act which every obstetrician must be well versed with. Cord blood banking has also been dealt with.
Chapters on ‘‘Practical Obstetrics’’ cover several instruments, specimens, imaging studies, and for selfstudy, there are questions having objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) format which greatly helps students in their examinations.
The DVD that is additionally provided on LSCS which is with explanations in writing about the various steps helps in understanding the most commonly performed obstetric procedure.
