Comprehensive Gynecology - Elsevier (2022)

Having !rst been published in 1987, Comprehensive Gynecology is
now in its eighth edition. And once again, it is appropriate to pay
tribute to the legacy of the original editors—Drs. William
Droegmueller, Arthur L. Herbst, Daniel R. Mishell, Jr., and
Morton A. Stenchever—each of whom was a giant within our
discipline and who had the wisdom and foresight to create a
textbook that has guided generations of gynecologists to make a
difference in the lives of women.
At this writing, we are in the midst of the 2020 COVID-19
pandemic. “The Great In"uenza” pandemic occurred a little over
a century ago, and one of the scientists in that !ght was Simon
Flexner, !rst Director of the Rockefeller Institute and brother of
Abraham Flexner, author of the 1910 Flexner Report, which examined the state of American medical education. Thinking about
Flexner’s emphasis on medical education reform, Einstein’s
advice about the acquisition of wisdom, and the current attention
to lifelong learning and self-assessment by the American Board of
Obstetrics and Gynecology, it is appropriate to introduce this
latest edition of Comprehensive Gynecology, with the hope that it
will be of value to practicing gynecologists, trainees in obstetrics
and gynecology, and subspecialists alike.
The doubling time of medical knowledge was estimated to be
50 years in 1950, 7 years in 1980, and 3.5 years in 2010. In 2020,
it is projected to be 0.2 years (73 days). Certainly, the !eld of gynecology is no exception. Mastering complex surgical procedures,
keeping abreast of the latest medical therapies for gynecologic conditions, grasping the advances and nuances of the electronic medical
record, and understanding the rapidly expanding !eld of molecular
biology and genetics as it relates to our specialty is challenging.
Despite the doubling time of medical information, the contributors and editors have made every effort to deliver the most
updated and relevant content. In this edition, we have maintained
the same chapters, although in two instances we have consolidated
chapters, combining vulvar and vaginal cancers, as well as combining fallopian tube and peritoneal cancers with ovarian cancer. As
in the previous two editions, we have added several new coauthors
to continue to enhance the expertise necessary to maintain the
book’s high quality. Importantly, each of the chapters has been
signi!cantly updated.
We have provided the most important references in the body
of the chapter, allowing the reader to have immediate access to
the source, rather than having to search for the reference. In addition, we have maintained a limited number of Key References
at the end of each chapter and Suggested Readings, which are
available online.
As in the prior edition, we have provided video content to
provide a more visual experience for the reader. New and better
illustrations have also been added to assist in visual learning.
Nearly every chapter has key points, which have been bundled
together in an online synopsis of the entire book. This will allow
rapid assessment of the content of each chapter for more indepth reading of areas of greater interest, as well as provide key
learning facts in all areas of gynecology.
We hope readers will enjoy this edition and learn as much as
they can from this ever-evolving !eld in order to provide better
health care for women.
We would like to extend our gratitude to the Elsevier staff—
Sarah Barth, Senior Content Strategist; and Melissa Rawe,
Content Development Specialist—who have shepherded this
entire process with extraordinary professionalism.
We would also like to thank our families, without whose
support, patience, and encouragement this project could not have
been accomplished.