This book is designed to filter the medical minutia into an easy to read and follow text in General Surgery. As I went through my training in General Surgery, I found that as the in-service training exam approached I was never quite prepared. I just couldn't bring myself to read a 2000 page textbook the month before the exam. The Surgery Residents

This book provides a comprehensive guide to the surgical skills required during general surgery. General Concepts are covered with descriptions of basic terminology, the logic behind specific approaches, limitations of specific skills, technical and practical considerations, and safety of using specific approaches and skills. More advanced topics including gastro-intestinal anastomosis, exploring a patient after a major trauma, and managing crisis situations are also discussed, as well as current controversies and future directions within general surgery. Fundamentals of General Surgery is relevant to trainees in general surgery and its subspecialties, and aims to give them an easy to access resource that contains real life examples, iconography, and recommended further reading.

This book provides readers with a theoretical and practical update on the current concepts in surgery.

"When a thing ceases to be a subject of controversy, it ceases to be a subject of interest. " WILLIAM HAZLITT (1778-1830) This is the fourth volume in a series which we started in 1997. In 1976, Varco and Delaney edited a "surgical bestseller" entitled Controversy in Surgery. This was fol lowed by a second volume in 1985. The immense success of these books among both surgical trainees and experienced surgeons, and their wide international ap peal, supported the editors' notion that a view of controversy is integral to teach ing. However, despite major advances in surgical science and practice, no other similar publication has since been put together with the objective of addressing major controversies in surgery. The aim of this series is to address such deficiency by covering the most crucial current controversies in general, vascular and trauma surgery. Since almost everything is controversial in surgery, we will be able to tackle different issues almost each year. The editors have selected a nationally/internationally recognized authority for each topic. Most books available today are either "North American:' "British-Com monwealth" or "British-European:' contributing to the constant transatlantic rival ry. Our series specifically aims to bridge this "culture gap" and includes North American, British, European, and other authors while maintaining a cohesive structure. This will hopefully also broaden the appeal of such a book across both sides of the Atlantic and beyond.

Minimal access surgery continues to evolve at a fast pace. This book, Current Concepts and Controversies in Laparoscopic Surgery, provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of some specialist areas in this field. The chapters cover a fascinating variety of subjects in areas where recent developments have had a significant effect on clinical practice. The topics discussed include the risks of laparoscopic access techniques, gastrointestinal anastomoses, minimal access surgery for early rectal cancer, and simulation in laparoscopic surgery. This book is an invaluable resource for physicians, surgeons, nurses, and allied healthcare professionals who seek to refresh and expand their knowledge in laparoscopic surgery as well as a source of excellent information for those preparing for professional examinations.