This issue of Thoracic Surgery Clinics of North America, guest edited by Dr. Sharon Ben-Or, is devoted to Thoracic Surgery in the Special Care Patient. Dr. Ben-Or has assembled expert authors to review the following topics: Thoracic surgery in the pregnant patient; Thoracic surgery in early stage small cell lung cancer; Lung cancer in the post transplant / immunosuppressed patient; The postpneumonectomy patient; Thoracic surgery considerations in the obese patient; Thoracic surgery considerations in the pediatric patient; Esophagectomy after weight reduction surgery; Thoracic surgery considerations in the mentally ill or handicapped patient; Lung cancer with concomitant cardiac disease; Malignant pleural effusion and the trapped lung; Empyema from an obstructing lung cancer; Synchronous esophageal and lung cancer; Thoracic surgery considerations in the AIDS patient; and more!

This extensively revised edition is an essential reference for physicians involved in the diagnosis, referral and treatment of the thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS). TOS is made up of a constellation of problems resulting from pathology at the thoracic outlet in the neck. Busy specialty practice sees multiple affected patients in every clinic, but TOS can often be difficult to diagnosis. Thoracic Outlet Syndrome explores all possible ancillary care issues surrounding this complex condition, including rehabilitation, disability, natural history and medicolegal issues, and aims to stimulate research, discussion and a sense of community between professionals involved in this area. Vascular and thoracic surgeons, neurosurgeons, neurologists, psychiatrists and psychologists, physical therapists, occupational medicine specialists and pain specialists will find this book a must read for successful treatment, referral and diagnosis of TOS in clinical practice.

This issue of Thoracic Surgery Clinics, guest edited by Dr. Felix Fernandez, is devoted to Quality in Thoracic Surgery. Dr. Fernandez has assembled expert authors to review the following topics: Risk adjustment and performance measurement for lung cancer resection; Risk adjustment and performance measurement for esophageal cancer resection; Oncologic quality indicators in thoracic surgery; National Quality Forum metrics for thoracic surgery; Volume outcome relationships in thoracic surgery; Failure to rescue in thoracic surgery; Quality and cost in thoracic surgery; Patient reported outcomes in thoracic surgery; Database audit in thoracic surgery; European Society of Thoracic Surgeons risk score; International database collaboration in thoracic surgery; Hospital readmissions following thoracic surgery; and more!

This issue of Thoracic Surgery Clinics, guest edited by Dr. Henning A. Gaissert, is devoted to The Chest Wall. Dr. Gaissert has assembled expert authors to review the following topics: Acute Infections of the Chest Wall; Chronic Infections of the Chest Wall; Thoracoplasty for TB in the 21st Century; Chest Wall Trauma: Conservative Management and Surgical Reconstruction; Minimally Invasive Repair of the Pectus Excavatum/Carinatum; Surgical Implications of the Straight Back Syndrome; Management of Primary Soft Tissue Tumors of the Chest Wall; Management of Lung Cancer Invading the Superior Sulcus; Management of Breast Cancer Invading the Chest Wall; Chest Wall Reconstruction without Prosthetic Material; Surgical Management of the Radiated Chest Wall and its Complications; Surgical Management of Primary Tumors of the Osseous Chest Wall; Surgical Management of Lung Cancer Involving the Chest Wall; Prosthetic Reconstruction of the Chest Wall, and more!

This issue of Thoracic Surgery Clinics of North America, guest edited by Drs. Jean Deslauriers, Farid Shamji, and Bill Nelems, is the first of two devoted to Fundamentals of Airway Surgery. The editors have assembled expert authors to review the following topics: Birth of Airway Surgery and Evolution over the Past Half-Century; Regional and Applied Anatomy of the Tracheo-Bronchial Tree from Larynx to Segmental Bronchus; Advanced Technologies for Imaging and Visualization of the Tracheobronchial Tree; Anesthesia and Gas Exchange during Airway Surgery; The Importance of Good Communications Between Anesthesiologists and Thoracic Surgeons; Tracheal Injuries Complicating Prolonged Intubation and Tracheostomy; Biology of Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Tracheo-Bronchial Tree and Principles of Management; Pathology of Primary Tracheobronchial Malignancies other than Adenoid Cystic Carcinomas; Tuberculosis and Other Granulomatous Diseases of the Airway; Tracheobronchomalacia and Expiratory Collapse of Central Airways; Management of Idiopathic Laryngo-Tracheal Stenosis; Subglottic Tracheal Resection and Synchronous Laryngeal Reconstruction with Preservation of the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerves: The Pearson Operation; Laryngeal Split and Rib Cartilage Interpositional Grafting: Treatment Option for Glottic/Subglottic Stenosis in Adults; Distal Tracheal Resection and Reconstruction; Factors Favoring and Impairing Healing of Tracheal Anastomosis; Prophylaxis and Treatment of Complications After Tracheal Resection; Non-Operative Endoscopic Management of Benign Tracheo-Bronchial Disorders; From Open to Bedside Percutaneous Tracheostomy; Anterior Mediastinal Tracheostomy; and more!

This issue of Thoracic Surgery Clinics of North America, guest edited by Drs. Jean Deslauriers, Farid Shamji, and Bill Nelems, is the second of two devoted to Fundamentals of Airway Surgery. The editors have assembled expert authors to review the following topics: From Open to Bedside Percutaneous Tracheostomy; Anterior Mediastinal Tracheostomy: Past, Present, and Future; Extended Sleeve Resections; Bronchoplasties at the Segmental Level; Challenges of Carinal Resection and Reconstruction; Carinal Pneumonectomy; Management of Post-Pneumonectomy Broncho-Pleural Fistula: From Thoracoplasty to Trans-Sternal Closure; Tracheal Transplantation: State of the Art and Key Role of Blood Supply in its Success; Autologous Tracheal Replacement; Pathophysiology and Predictors of Bronchial Complications After Lung Transplantation; Management of Bronchial Complications After Lung Transplantation and Late Sequelae; Experiences with Prosthetic Airway Replacement: From the Use of Marlex Meshes to Tissue Engineering; Management of Acquired Benign Tracheo-Esophageal Fistulas; Strategies in the Treatment of Malignant Tracheoesophageal Fistulas; Recognition and Management of Life-Threatening Tracheo-Vascular Fistulae and How to Prevent Them; Principles of Urgent Management of Acute Airway Obstruction; Tracheo-Bronchial Injuries Secondary to Blunt Chest Trauma; Cricothyroid Approach for Emergency Access to the Airway; Use of Silicone Tubes in the Management of Complex Airway Problems; Management of the Airway after Tracheal Reconstruction; Importance of a Team Effort in the Success of Airway Surgery; and more!

Robotic Cardiac Surgery is a comprehensive guide to robotic/totally endoscopic cardiac surgery. The book is intended to provide in-depth information regarding the history of robotic surgical systems, their components and principles. It emphasizes patient selection, perioperative management, anesthesia considerations and management, operative techniques and management, postoperative care and results. Extensive, detailed photographs and illustrations of different kinds of robotic surgery are also included. It provides cardiac surgeons, cardiac anesthesiologists, and perfusionists with a comprehensive review of current robotic cardiac surgeries and related knowledge. Changqing Gao, MD, is a professor at the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.