Hemorheologic therapy has gained considerably in importance in recent years. This detailed and comprehensive book enumerates, discusses, and critically evaluates those treatment methods in which therapeutic success rests essentially on achieving an improvement in hemodynamics. After a general account of clinical hemorheology, fundamental aspects of hemorheologic methods and the eval- uation and assessment of hemorheologic parameters are discussed and the pathophysiology is described in detail. The treatment methods and substances that bring about improvement of the hemodynamics are described in chronologic order of first publication, and in each case all known later publications are also discussed in the order in which they appeared. This topical account of hemorheologic therapy - the results reported to date and the spectrum of applications - will be a valuable addition to the library both of the specialist and of all interested doctors in hospital and general practice.

Boston University School of Medicine has established a series of Medical Education Programs in Nutrition held each summer since 1975. These deal with controversies in human clinical nutrition. The subjects have covered various topics, including those dealing with the relation ships between diet and heart disease, diet and cancer, breast. versus bottle-feeding, and dietary fiber and disease. Other noncontroversial topics were also covered at these conferences; they were discussed simply to bring to the attention of the health professional new happenings in nutritional research. These topics dealt with the relationships of nutrition to immune function, to neurotransmitters, to infection, to obesity, and to chemotherapy. This text is a compilation of selected manuscripts of interest to the health professional in the area of human clinical nutrition. Whatever success this text enjoys is in no small way due to the ad ministrative and editorial efforts of our administrative assistant, Mrs Geraldine Rankin - our sincere thanks."

by Dr. Nathaniel R. Bronson, 11 This volume serves a two-fold purpose very nieely. For the ophthalmologist there is a presentation of the teehniques and results of ultrasonie examination of the eye and orbit. For the radiologist or general ultrasonographer the essential oeular anat- omy and pathology are deseribed with these findings. Unlike eon- ventional x-rays or statie general body ultrasonograms, the exami- nation of the eye by real-time ultrasonography must be done by an examiner with extensive personal knowledge of the eye and the orbit, both anatomieally and pathologieally. The student must realize that the Polaroid photographs ean only show an example of what was transiently seen, such as spot films taken during fturo- seopy. This is further eomplieated by the poor reproduetion by Polaroid films of the aetual gray sc ale seen during the examination. Considerable work has been done to prepare this text. The author has done elinieal ultrasonography of many eyes and presents the findings of his experienee. As in most fields of medieal diagnostie work this experienee is essential to aehieve the best results. The beginner in ophthalmie ultrasonography is eneouraged to work with known pathology. Fortunately, pathologie ehanges in the eye vii FOREWORD can frequently be seen with a slit lamp or an compared our ultrasonic diagnosis of orbital ophthalmoscope. For example, a known retinal masses with those of the same patient done on a detachment is an ideal case with which to start. CAT scanner.

The Nd: YAG laser has finally become the multidisciplinary and muitispeciaity tool of the 1980s. Primarily developed for gastrointestinal applications for controlling bleeding, at present it is also used for endoscopic treatment of gastrointestinal tumors, endobronchial cancer, and bladder and gynecological lesions and finding applications in otorhinolaryngology and neurosurgery. De velopment of laser scalpels and focusing head-pieces has now allowed the Nd: YAG laser to be used for open surgical procedures in general and plastic surgery, head and neck surgery, urology, gynecology, dermatology, and neu rosurgery. The rapid development in ceramic technology has led to contact surgery allowing physicians a choice of excision, vaporization, coagulation, incision, or combinations thereof by easily changing probes rather than having to select new laser wavelengths. This technology is rapidly replacing the carbon dioxide laser which currently has no adequate flexible waveguide for fiberoptic en doscopy, cannot be used in a water medium (e.g., bladder), and has poor coagulation properties when compared to the Nd: YAG laser. Future developments may see the Nd: YAG laser even replacing electro cautery in the operating room due to its greater safety and efficacy. Local hyperthermia (laserthermia) with computer control, photodynamic therapy, and ophthalmic applications make the Nd: YAG laser the most exciting tech nological advancement in medicine and surgery for the 1980s."

The "shoulder-hand syndrome" or pain in the shoulder or arm is an extremely vital subject for the multi-disciplinary approach and usually re quires more than one speciality for complete evaluation. The proceedings of this symposium - organized by the department of general surgery of the University of Limburg - cover the field thoroughly with contributions from outstanding specialists from all over the world. Rheumatological, neuro surgical, orthopedic, and traumatological aspects are covered. Vascular surgeons considering both venous and arterial problems entwine with thoracic surgeons to review the thoracic outlet problem. Establishing a diagnosis in this multi-disciplinary field is extremely important and encom passes a combination of disciplines including neurology, orthopedics, sur gery, and physical medicine. Likewise, the role of each contributing factor must be assessed when multiple sources were responsible for pain. In addition to adequate diagnosis, it is important to institute the appropriate therapy and to establish the proper priority and timing of such therapies. The follow-up techniques particularly regarding thoracic outlet syndrome are extremely important to provide an objective basis for evaluation. Although many advances have been made in the field of objective diagnosis and therapy, there still is a great deal of overlap and confusion which has to be clarified. Professor Greep and his organizing committee have done a wonderful job in composing a program covering all aspects of this field. They are to be congratulated on bringing us a "timely current status" report on pain in the shoulder and arm."

It was not too many years ago that the role of chemotherapy for head and neck cancer consisted of single-agent methotrexate for selected patients with recurrent disease. In the past decade, multiple new agents, high-dose chemotherapy, combinations, and intra-arterial approaches have been used for the patient with recurrent disease. Wheeler critically assesses the current status of these approaches. When oncologists began testing chemotherapy in the combined modality approach, trials consisted of induction chemotherapy and use of single agents as radiosensitizers. Although a great deal has been learned from these trials, benefit in terms of survival has been marginal. Even more promising may be the concomitant use of combination chemo therapy and radiation. Taylor describes the encouraging results as well as the potential. Induction chemotherapy may have a second important goal in addition to improving curability-it could be used for organ preservation. Dimery et al., present the background for this approach in the patient with laryngeal cancer as well as a description of their randomized trial for voice preservation. Head and neck squamous cancers are a heterogeneous group of diseases, and surgeons have long sought parameters that will help predict outcome."

Dear colleagues, Promotion of the development of ENT is one of the most important tasks of IFOS (International Federation of Otorhinolaryngology). Apart from organizing the World Congresses it supports different international and regional meetings, organizes symposiums on well determined subjects, etc. Since the last World Congress in 1981, in addition to the Danube Symposium in 1982 and the Congress of ENT Societies in Asia Oceania in 1983, an international symposium was organized in Antwerp by the Belgian ENT Society on evaluation problems of middle ear surgery. This is a very controversial question on which there is no concensus. During a four-day meeting many anatomical and pathological aspects, operative methods, possibilities of the evaluation of the results with computers, were widely discussed. You will find all the lectures presented in this book. I am convinced that these papers will prove to be a good basis for further discussion and hope that finally we shall achieve an international agreement on the evaluation of our results in middle ear surgery. My thanks go to Professor Marquet for organizing the meeting and for publishing the papers. Professor Dr. L. Surjan President of IFOS 10 WELCOME Dear colleagues and especially dear Professor Marquet, In my function as pro-rector of the University of Antwerp I am very proud of welcoming you to the opening of the International Conference on "The Postoperative Evaluation in Middle Ear Surgery." It gives me the opportunity to stress the importance of this congress and to honour Prof. Marquet."

During the past decade extensive investigations have been done on the testis. Since the observations have been published in many different journals. it seemed appropriate to bring together and summarize some of the pertinent findings in a single volume. Twenty-eight scientists and clinicians from nine countries have contributed to this book. They have reviewed the literature and presented their own, new observations on the developmentaL anatomicaL physiologicaL biochemical and pathological aspects of the descended and cryptorchid testis. In addition, several contributors have evaluated the usefulness of certain animals as models for systematically studying specific aspects of cryptorchidism. It is hoped that this volume will serve as a useful summary and reference for those working in this area and that it will encourage further research in testicular physiopathology. The editor thanks the contributors for their enthusiasm, cooperation and meticulous writing of the chapters. The support of the Departments of GynecologyjObstetrics and the Department of Physiology of Wayne State University School of Medicine. Detroit and the assistance from the staff of Martinus Nijhoff are gratefully acknowledged. The cheerful cooperation of Miss Lori Rust and Miss Penny Stoops who helped to type and assemble the volume is most deeply appreciated.

As a clinical discipline blood transfusion encompasses enormous vista, vary ing from biotechnology to molecular biology, from plasma products, cell biology and growth factors to interleukines. Growth of knowledge in this field has been rapid, and expertise is now required to be mastered and renewed in translating these ideas for patient care. Various types of cells could be harvested - progenitor stem cells derived from bone marrow or from circulating blood as a source for transplants; in the hemostatic armoury platelets could be used prophylactically; granulocytes and mononuclear cells are available for treatment of infections or immune modulations. However, their therapeutic use carries potential complications including graft versus host disease and CMV-infection. Prevention of such complications by irradiation and by removal of immunocompetent leukocytes are important issues. Thus, production of such therapeutic materials ought to address the issues at the earliest, to eliminate those problems while adhering to the con cept of high quality; the impact of storing platelets for longer periods by using improved plastic containers or storing almost indefinitely in frozen state should be explored. Rapid progress in cell culture techniques and bio technology have enriched the transfusion medicine armoury with lympho kines, interferons and cell colony growth factors which have great potentials for enhancement of basic knowledge as well as considerable therapeutic applications in patients.

This text was designed for the physicians, nurses, technical personnel, and staff members of medical facilities using lasers for surgical, therapeutic, and diagnostic purposes. The objective is to provide an understanding of the potential health and safety hazards associated with the use of medical laser systems and the precautions needed to use them safely. To do this, it is necessary to have an awareness of applicable standargs and regula tions that apply to laser use. This book is not intended as a substitute for the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z-136. 3, "Safe Use of Lasers in Health Care Facilities," but to facilitate its implementation as well as the implementation of the many other related regulations and guidelines that are pertinent. These other regulations include the Medical Device Amendments to the Food and Drug Act, the Federal Laser Product Performance Standards issued under the Radiation Control for Health and Safety Act, and applicable regulations of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The text is organized to provide first an overview of laser hazards, laser surgical applications, and laser biological effects. General safety control measures and safety standards are then presented. Because laser tech nology is rapidly evolving, these general guidelines will allow safe use of new laser systems as they become available. Finally, specific safety guide lines and precautions are provided for specialized laser applications in the different health care specialties."

A variety of new cancer therapy modalities are discussed and evaluated in this book. It aims to demonstrate that the combination of classical chemo- and radiotherapy with new approaches in the field of immunotherapy can result in an improved treatment modality. Immunotherapy in this context consists of therapy with monoclonal antibodies, hematopoietic growth factors and other lymphokines. Results of early clinical trials with IL-2, GM-CSF and monoclonal antibodies against gastrointestinal tumors and melanoma are included. The progress in regional chemotherapy strategies, for example of the liver, is shown. In addition, the development of new chemotherapeutic agents with a different mode of action as well as better tolerability is presented. The use of hormones, such as LH-RH agonists, allows hormone-dependent tumors such as prostatic and breast cancer to be treated without strong adverse reactions. These recent findings give the reader insight into exciting therapeutic directions made possible by such combined, rather than single, modalities.

Heart surgery is still a relatively recent advance in medical technology. The first open-heart procedure was closure of an atrial septal defect in a child at the University of Minnesota Hospital in 1953. This issued in a life-saving advance, the use of which has expanded enormously to in clude treatment of many areas of cardiac disease. Not unexpectedly, surgical techniques allowed through the use of the heart-lung machine (open-heart surgery) came to be applied in 1967 to the major killer of Americans, namely, coronary artery disease. This operation, known as coronary artery bypass, has become one of the most common surgical operations. Coronary artery disease, with the possibility of total incapacitation or sudden death from a heart attack, can alter severely the personality of the patient. Corrective surgery can sometimes intensify rather than ame liorate a patient's fears. To the surgeon, occupied by increasing numbers of patients, there is not time enough to give the preoperative attention that might be helpful. Also, the surgeon and cardiologist are limited in their ability to recognize those patients near the breaking point. The research outlined in these chapters by Drs. Pimm, Feist, and their associates is welcomed by cardiologists and cardiac surgeons. It provides insight into what appears to be reliable recognition of those patients likely to have an adversely affected mental status by coronary bypass surgery and "crisis intervention" to avert this effect and allow the complete benefit of returning the patient to a normal life."

J. Navratil The performance of operations on the heart and its replacement by a trans planted or artificial heart has been an age old dream of man. Rehn for example in an early attempt, in 1868 performed a closure of a heart wound after a thoracic puncture. At that time noone thought that this attempt was the beginning of cardiac surgery. The dream was partially realized when the replacement of the heart function by the heart-lungmachine became possible. Immediately following the first operations, cardiac surgeons and cardiologists saw with great enthusiasm that this machine could be an important tool for correcting congenital and non congenital heart diseases. However, the heart-lungmachine was soon seen to not be an optimal instrument for controlling cardiac failure after cardiopulmonary bypass or myocardial infarction. then arose for the development of mechanical assistance to the heart. Concepts The rollerpump was first designed for assisted circulation and could be applied clinically in 1962. A new concept of mechanical assistance to the heart was pro vided by the intra aortic balloon pump and later by the bypass ventricles. Use of the intra aortic balloon pump can reduce cardiac work by counterpulsation in accord with the natural ECG. The bypass ventricle can functionally replace the heart in series or parallel to the natural heart. The intra aortic balloon pump, now an established method, has reduced the number of patients who used to die from cardiac failure."

Ultrasonic surgical techniques were first used by Dr. Kelman in the 1960s to fragment cataracts through a 2-mm incision allowing for minimally invasive surgery. The results from this procedure stimulated the development of a larger, move powerful ultrasonic unit that was used in neurosurgery. This instrument allowed the neurosurgeon to selectively remove tumor tissue with decreased blood loss and tissue trauma. The ability now of ultrasonic equipment to selectively fragment, irrigate, and aspirate tissue with minimal coagulation effect spurred its rapid use in surgery on the liver, spleen, kidney, and other intra-abdominal organs. This instrument has been invaluable in ovarian cancer cytoreduction and intricate segmental organ resection. The newest technical developments include electro cautery capability built into the hand piece and extended hand pieces for laparoscopic surgery. The impetus for assembling this volume has been to provide an extensive review of the field of ultrasonic surgery as it has currently developed including principles, equipment features, and surgical tech niques. It is hoped that the information will be of use to physicians in training and surgeons in practice. The book takes a multidisciplinary approach with chapters authored by a diversity of subspecialists in gen eral surgery, urology, surgical oncology, and gynecologic oncology. Each chapter contains basic information on surgical techniques. Together, these chapters cover surgery of the GI tract, kidney, liver, and lower genital tract, and present a number of personal approaches."

All general surgeons, and especially hernia surgeons, will benefit from this book. It contains a complete update on the research and pathogenesis of the incisional hernia. The volume describes all important diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and evaluates the appropriate use of each procedure for each particular case. Pitfalls and unresolved issues are discussed in depth, and experts of international standing weigh in on each topic.

Surgical Diseases of the Spleen written and edited by internationally renowned scientists will be a masterpiece for any institution. It provides an updated multidisciplinary review of diseases of the spleen. Experts in the field have customed their chapters to further ease the readers understanding offering all the information needed to progress in this area. Different sections on basic concepts, specific splenic diseases and operative techniques cover new aspects in immunology, infectious, traumatic and neoplastic conditions.

This volume has been written specifically for the practising clinician. All aspects of clinical transplantation have expanded enormously in recent years, but many of the doctors involved have received little or no tuition in immunology as medical students. The various chapters, written by physicians, surgeons, pathologists and immunologists present many of the currently important issues in transplantation and demonstrate that a basic undertaking of immunology is now essential in many areas of clinical practice. Perhaps this book will not only produce an increasing awareness of immunological technique but also and, more importantly, stimulate an abiding interest in this clinically relevant topic. Graeme R. Catto Aberdeen Royal Infirmary vii Series Editor's Note The modern clinician is expected to be the fount of all wisdom concerning conventional diagnosis and management relevant to his sphere of practice. In addition, he or she has the daunting task of comprehending and keeping pace with advances in basic science relevant to the pathogenesis of disease and ways in which these processes can be regulated or prevented. Immunology has grown from the era of antitoxins and serum sickness to a state where the study of many diverse cells and molecules has become integrated into a coherent scientific discipline with major implications for many common and crippling diseases prevalent throughout the world.

Where do you begin to look for a recent, authoritative article on the diagnosis or management of particular malignancy? The few general oncology textbooks are generally out of date. Single papers in specialized journals are informative but seldom comprehensive; these are more often preliminary reports on a very limited number of patients. Certain general journals frequently publish good in-depth reviews of cancer topics, and published symposium lectures are often the best overviews available. Unfortunately, these reviews and supplements appear sporadically, and the reader can never be sure when a topic of special interest will be covered. Cancer Treatment and Research is a series of authoritative volumes which aim to meet this need. It is an attempt to establish a critical mass of oncology literature covering virtually all oncology topics, revised frequently to keep the coverage up to date, easily available on a single library shelf or by a single personal subscription. We have approached the problem in the following fashion. First, by dividing the oncology literature into specific subdividions such as lung cancer, genitouri nary cancer, pediatric oncology, etc. Second, by asking eminent authorities in each of these areas to edit a volume on the specific topic on an annual or biannual basis. Each topic and tumor type is covered in a volume appearing frequently and predictably, discussing current diagnosis, staging, markers, all forms of treatment modalities, basic biology, and more."

TH. BERCHEM ince its foundation 400 years ago, Wurzburg University has 1 S followed its purpose of safeguarding tradition and acting as a meeting point for scientists from horne and abroad; in short, it is a forum for national and international exchange, in accordance with its memorandum of establishment. The historie role of Wur- zburg University has been accentuated by its faculty of medicine, surgery in particular. One name, indeed, illuminates its excellent scientific reputation, a name representing a whole dynasty of scholars: Siebold. This year we celebrate the 200th anniversary of Philipp Franz von Siebold's birth. He is one of Wurzburg's most famous scholars. However, we should remember that his grandfa- ther, Carl Caspar, originally contributed to a considerable en- hancement of this university's reputation: he was the founder and first head of surgery. CI like the idea that he came from my hometown of Nideggen in the Eifel region, but this is only of mar- ginal interest. ) When Carl Caspar came to Wurzburg in 1760, the medical faculty consisted of five students. Since then, the total number has grown to 20,000. In 1760 Wurzburg University was much dif- ferent from nowadays. Medicine at Wurzburg during the eight- eenth century meant the Juliusspital, a very famous hospital at that time and which still exists today. The garden pavilion of that hospital was Germany's first institution for anatomy.

New surgical techniques for the treatment of anal incontinence have given the increasing number of afflicted patients hope for a cure. Colorectal surgeons and more and more general surgeons are performing operations, yet until now they have not had a text that they can use as a reference work. The guidance and instruction that surgeons need are now available in this atlas. It describes every operation in technical detail, and the two-color illustrations clearly show the essential points of each procedure. The authors discuss thoroughly the indications for surgical treatment, its application to the individual patient, and post-operative care. The comprehensive scope of this book makes it a rich source of information for surgeons working outside highly specialized centers. For specialists, it is the only practical reference available on the subject.

"The experience of each one of us is the treasure of all. " Gerard de Nerval In 1952, J. L. Lortat-Jacob [2] reported the first programmed right hepatectomy, which had been carried out for a hepatic metastasis of colorectal origin. Today, excisional surgery of the liver has become a routine procedure, with a low mortality and morbi dity. The varieties of excision have increased and been modified in accordance with the site and number of lesions to be treated. These advances notably stem from both the work on the segmental anatomy of the liver by Couinaud [1] and that of Ton That Tung [3], which have opened the way to a simplified and segmental method of hepa tic resection that is both safe and reliable. This progress has been greatly facilitated by a better knowledge of the effects of vascular clamping of the liver, and by the intro duction of new techniques including per-operative ultrasound, the ultrasonic dissector and the argon coagulator. Improvements in anresthesia have also contributed to the safety of these procedures. The high incidence of colorectal cancer (the second commonest cause of cancer death in France) and the frequent occurrence of hepatic metastases from this tumour, more than justify the search for an effective therapeutic management pro tocol. The important place of surgical resection, the technical advances outlined above, and the prospect of new treatment modalities using adjuvant therapy, are additional reasons for preparing a report on this subject.

B. Raymond Fink Sheldon Roth and Keith Miller have asked me to record that the Third Conference on Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Anesthesia was held in Calgary last May "in my honor. " Such was my dear friends' gracious way of continuing a series that began at the University of Washington, where I hosted two, four, or five previous ones, 1,3-6 depending 2 on how far back one wishes to count. At that, Seattle took up where Paris left off in 1951. These occasions create their own unforgettable memories. This book captures the fine, invigorating ambience of the University of Calgary and the exciting explorations and com panionship of a gathering in a frontier territory of neuroscience. So, floreant symposia. They have progressively refined the quarry, from pathway to synapse to lipoprotein membrane to receptor and single channel, in heuristic convergences of neuronal physiology, biochemistry, and pharmacology. Nevertheless, the anesthesiologist in me senses a certain disquiet, a certain claustrophobia provoked by the narrow confines of micropipettes. How much more tubular must tunnel vision become before the desired broad view emerges? At present, the advances in molecular neurobiology seem continually to increase the apparent complexity of the total problem and the conceptual distance between the reductionists in the laboratories and the holists in the operating rooms. Happily, what is also growing is the excitement in trying to bridge the gap. Perhaps it would be timely to regard general anesthesia not as a state but as a syndrome."

Rectal cancer is a major killer. Most of those dying after curative surgery suffer from recurrent disease in the pelvis. Local recurrence is also the only site of failure in up to 50% of patients. A disturbing fact is that the local recurrence rate shows considerably surgeon-related variances. There is now strong evidence that optimizing surgical technique by adopting the principle of total mesorectal excision (TME) will reduce local failure rate, increase the use of sphincter-saving operations, and improve functional results. Surgeons applying this surgical principle will consistently achieve similarly low recurrence rates.

This RRCR-conference-volume marks "number six" in a 20-year evolution of international conferences on the adjuvant therapy of primary breast cancer. Starting in 1978, a handful of some 80 en thusiastic breast cancer surgeons and oncologists, met in a se cluded mountain resort near st. Gallen in Eastern Switzerland, to exchange their early data of some pioneer trials on adjuvant sys temic therapy of early breast cancer, and to correlate their future research efforts to overcome the frustrating prognostic stagna tion of this dominant neoplastic disease in Western females dur ing the past decades. Repeated every 3-4 years, these St. Gallen International Conferences on Adjuvant Therapy of Primary Breast Cancer have continuously grown in numbers of partici pants and in normative, therapeutic influence by being published in major oncology journals 1-3], the last (6th) conference hav ing taken place from February 25-28, 1998 with more than 1800 attendees from over 50 countries worldwide. What is the fascination of adjuvant therapy in primary (early) breast cancer, and what has changed, during the last 3 years since March 1995, to justify another international gathering of this size, and of the world's leading experts in the field? There is no question, that providing even more effective care and designing appropriate recommendations for the multitudes of patients with so-called early breast cancer or at high risk of developing the disease, remain highly important public health goals."

The 20th century has finished, the century when surgery took huge steps forward thanks to progress in technology. Now we have entered the "century of biotechnologies", which will not only generate progress in surgery, but also lead to a real "cultural revolution" that will completely change approaches to solving different problems in medicine. The aim of this book is to bring surgeons closer to biotechnologies and to overcome the cultural gap dividing them from these new approaches. Biotechnologies are already proposed and used at different levels in surgical practice: in diagnostic technique, enabling practitioners to identify diseases at an early stage and follow their molecular modification over time; and in tissue engineering, where the use of "smart scaffolds" offers a possible answer to increasing demand for biocompatible tissues and organs in transplantation surgery. This volume focuses on the emerging field of stem cells, analyzing both their role as possible players in originating and perpetuating cancer - "cancer stem cells" - and, conversely, their extraordinary therapeutical potential. An additional section is dedicated to the evaluation and application of derived molecular factors that can enhance the physiological processes that are fundamentally important in surgery, such as hemostasis and wound healing. Surgeons have always been technologists, in the sense that since surgery began they have always needed technology, beginning with a scalpel and surgical instruments. They have always cooperated with technologists. However, in the new century, the first one of the millennium, a rapid increase in knowledge that is outside the realm of the surgeon's traditional technological training is imposing itself - hence the aim of this book. It is now urgent to encourage surgeons to embrace this knowledge (biotechnology) with confidence. By its very nature, biotechnology is completely different from the technologies used so far, because it escapes the senses of sight and touch, which up to now have been the essence of the surgeon's work. The cellular and molecular dimensions of biotechnologies are still far removed from most of the recent advances in modern surgical techniques. A common language between surgeons and biotechnologists will create further, revolutionary, progress in surgical sciences in the twenty-first century.