Preface to the Thirteenth Edition
Novak's Gynecology, 13th edition, has been thoroughly updated and revised to be certain that its contents and bibliography are current and accurate. Its essence is the same as the original—a comprehensive general textbook in gynecology. The substance reflects the wealth of information that has emerged and evolved during the 62 years since the inception of Novak's Textbook of Gynecology. It is an honor to have been asked to continue to shepherd this important book and I hope will retain its value to inform and assist our colleagues for many years.
The textbook, originated by the faculty of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, continues to reflect the contributions of that great institution. The book was inaugurated by Dr. Emil Novak, a pioneer in gynecology and pathology. After the fifth edition and subsequent death of Dr. Novak in 1957, many physicians on the faculty of Johns Hopkins, and subsequently some members of the Vanderbilt faculty, have helped carry the torch—Dr. Edmund R. Novak through the ninth edition in 1979; Drs. Howard W. Jones, Jr. and Georgeanna Seegar Jones through the tenth edition in 1981; and Drs. Howard W. Jones, III, Lonnie S. Burnett, and Anne Colston Wentz through the 11th edition in 1988. These editors, assisted by many contributors who have been faculty at Johns Hopkins, especially Drs. J. Donald Woodruff and Conrad G. Julian, have helped define the specialty of gynecology over the latter half of the 20th century. These physicians and authors are responsible for the ideas that shaped the specialty of gynecology as we know it today—its surgical and medical therapies, reproductive endocrinology, assisted reproductive technologies, gynecologic oncology, urogynecology, and infectious diseases. As a graduate of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, I am proud to contribute to that rich tradition.
Starting with the twelfth edition, this textbook utilized a new format. The design of the book was established by Dr. Leon Speroff and his colleagues in the textbook Clinical Gynecologic Endocrinology and Infertility and was adapted for the book Practical Gynecologic Oncology. This presentation style should facilitate the study of gynecology for the student as well as the specialist.
http://gateway.ovid.comNovak's Gynecology, 13th edition, is presented in six sections. The first, “Principles of Practice,” includes the initial assessment of the gynecologic patient, the history and physical examination, and communication skills. This section addresses ethical principles of patient care, quality assessment and improvement, and the epidemiology of gynecologic conditions. The second section, “Basic Sciences,” summarizes the scientific basis for the specialty—anatomy and embryology, molecular biology and genetics, and reproductive physiology. The third section, “Preventive and Primary Care,” reflects the importance of primary health care for women, which has evolved to address preventive care, screening, family planning, sexuality, and common psychiatric problems. The fourth section, “General Gynecology,” reviews benign diseases of the female reproductive tract, the evaluation of pelvic infections, pain, intraepithelial diseases, the management of early pregnancy loss and ectopic pregnancy, the evaluation of benign breast disease, and the operative management of benign gynecologic conditions. The fifth section, “Reproductive Endocrinology,” summarizes the major disorders affecting the growth, development, and function of women from puberty through menopause. The sixth section, “Gynecologic Oncology,” covers malignant diseases of the female reproductive tract and breast cancer.
I have purposely abbreviated the discussion of the historical development of the subjects in each chapter. Space limitations have required a shift in emphasis from the achievements of the past to the relevant issues of the present.
I am especially grateful to the many individuals who contributed to this book. Rebecca Rinehart provided superb editorial assistance, manuscript review, and revision. Drs. Paula Hillard and Eli Adashi served as excellent Assistant Editors. Tim Hengst, an outstanding medical illustrator, designed and created the original artwork. At the publishers, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Ms. Lisa McAllister supported the editorial process with great enthusiasm. Working with her, Ray Reter, Steven Martin and the rest of their team skillfully produced the manuscript. Expert secretarial support was provided by Kevin Wong and Sergio Huidor.
I acknowledge the efforts of my mentors and colleagues—Dean Sherman Mellinkoff, Drs. J. Donald Woodruff, Kenneth J. Ryan, Isaac Schiff, J. George Moore, William J. Dignam, Gautum Chaudhuri, and Neville F. Hacker. Each of these physicians and scholars provided me with guidance, wisdom, and encouragement during the years we shared at our respective university medical schools.
My thanks to Nicole Kidman, the chair of the advisory board for the UCLA Women's Reproductive Cancer Program—whose support and friendship has helped stimulate this project.
I hope that this book will be a useful resource for my colleagues and for students of the specialty of gynecology. I look forward to the continued impact of the specialty on the enhancement of health care for women throughout the world.
Jonathan S. Berek
