Practical Procedures in General Practice was recommended to me as a useful reference guide for minor surgery and joint injections in general practice.
I have used this book regularly as an aide-memoire. It also complemented a recent minor surgery course that I undertook.
This has been a helpful addition to the practice library because it is specifically targeted to general practice in the UK.
The author, Dr Suneeta Kochhar, is a GP and minor surgery lead. She is also surgically qualified.
The book discusses the specification for a DES in minor surgery, as well as related matters such as local anaesthesia, surgical techniques and audit.
It covers operative procedures in minor surgery, a large range of joint injections, long-acting reversible methods of contraception, and other procedures including nasal cautery, microsuction of the external auditory canal, non-scalpel vasectomy and carpal tunnel decompression.
Operative procedures include incision and drainage of abscesses, and excision of epidermal cysts and lipomas. Explanations are thorough and well illustrated. The hints and tips sections are particularly helpful.
Joint injections
Joint injections are beautifully illustrated with surface anatomy photographs and line drawings that are easy to use.
I found these helpful when teaching junior colleagues. Joint injection techniques, suggested drug dosages, suggested needle lengths and aftercare are also highlighted.
The book is very user-friendly, but the author also emphasises that gaining practical experience is important and additional training may be required.
I would highly recommend this book to GP colleagues as well as GP trainees. It is well written, with broad coverage of its subject. The illustrations are excellent. The book is also relatively inexpensive, at £25.99.
- Dr Puri is a GP partner in Warrington, Cheshire
- Practical Procedures in General Practice, by Dr Suneeta Kochhar, is available from Scion Publishing.
