Few clinical disciplines have been transformed so dramatically by advancements in science and technology as gastrointestinal surgery. To begin with, modern ph- macology has virtually eliminated some kinds of surgery altogether. If one were to take a peek at a typical operating room schedule in a busy hospital of the 1960s, gastrectomies of one kind or another would have constituted a large block of the major surgeries. The advent of effective H2-histamine receptor antagonists and, more + + recently, the H, K -ATPase (proton pump) inhibitors led to a precipitous decline in those procedures such that they are rarely performed today. Exciting new approaches to treating inflammatory bowel diseases and their complications-such as fistulas- with anticytokine therapy may one day have a similarly profound effect on surgery for this condition as well. Beyond pharmaceutics, advances in imaging techniques have greatly facilitated the identification and characterization of pathology in the gastrointestinal tract in a way that would have been unimaginable only a few years ago. Just to visualize the pancreas in some way was a horrendous task until abdominal ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, or computer tomography made it simple. The fact that the gut is a hollow organ that can be accessed through the mouth, anus, or even through the wall of the abdomen has been fully exploited with fiberoptic endoscopes that can bend around corners with ease and permit surgery to be conducted through them.

Spinal surgery is a unique area in the process of continuous development. New skills are applied daily in this delicate field by the spinal surgeon: this professional can be either an orthopaedic surgeon or a neurosurgeon dedicated to the treatment of spinal diseases. This book offers a comprehensive approach and reviews all of the possible errors encountered by spinal surgeons in the clinical practice. It is mainly directed towards young surgeons approaching spinal surgery and also to experienced surgeons with regards to complications related to the latest technologies in the spinal field. This approach of treating and understanding problems in cervical spine surgery is unique and will guide the reader towards an improved level of attention regarding pitfalls in cervical spine surgery, therefore fostering the ability of preventing major complications and medicolegal consequences.

The term "minimally invasive spinal surgery" was coined in early 1990 following pub- cation of the first edition of this text entitled Arthroscopic Microdiscectomy: Minimal Intervention in Spinal Surgery, and subsequent establishment of the International Society for Minimal Intervention in Spinal Surgery (ISMISS) under the auspices of the International Society of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology (SICOT) in April l990. The orthopedic and neurological surgeons who participated in lectures and hands-on wo- shops both in Philadelphia and abroad have witnessed the evolution of minimally invasive spinal surgery from blind nucleotomy to endoscopic fragmentectomy, decompression of l- eral recess stenosis, foraminoplasty, and spinal stabilization. In Arthroscopic and Endoscopic Spinal Surgery: Text and Atlas, Second Edition, experts describe and illustrate various techniques and approaches that are currently used in this field. In addition, the ongoing research for the betterment of spine care via minimally invasive approaches is briefly reviewed. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to so many of my colleagues who s- ported my efforts in the field of minimally invasive spinal surgery throughout the years. Many of them participated in our teaching symposiums and have provided valuable cont- butions to this text.

Thisisthefirstvolumeinthe CerelJral Cortexseriesdevotedtomathematicalmodels ofthecortex. Itwasmotivatedbytherealizationthatcomputationalmodelsof individualneuronsandensemblesofneuronsareincreasinglyusedinresearchon corticalorganizationandfunction. Thisis,inpart,becauseofthenowubiquitous presenceofpowerfulandaffordablecomputers. Suitablemachineswereformerly rareinresearchlaboratoriesandrequiredsubstantialprogrammingexpertisetobe usedinconstructingandusingneuronalmodels. However,computersarenow routinelyusedinallareasofneurobiologyandanumberofsoftwarepackagesallow scientistswithminimalcomputerscienceandmathematicalbackgroundstocon- structseriousneuronalmodels. Asecondfactorleadingtotheproliferationof modelingstudiesisthedevelopmentoftechnologiesthatallowthekindsofdata collectionneededtodeveloprealisticmodelsofcorticalneurons. Characterization ofthekineticsofvoltage-andligand-gatedchannelsandreceptorshadbeenlim- itedtorelativelylargeneurons. However,therapiddevelopmentofsliceprepara- tions,patch-clampmethods,andimagingmethodsbasedonvoltage-sensitivedyes andintracellularcalciumindicatorshasresultedinasignificantdatabaseonthe biophysicalfeaturesofcorticalneurons. Thescopeofmodelingapproachestocorticalneuronsandfunctionsiswide anditseemednecessarytolimitthepurviewofthevolume. Thefocusisonattempts tounderstandthepropertiesofindividualcorticalneuronsandneuronalcircuitry throughmodelsthatincorporatesignificantfeaturesofcellularmorphologyand physiology. Noattemptwasmadetoincludemodelingapproachestounderstanding corticaldevelopmentandplasticity. Thus,workdealingwiththedevelopmentof oculardominancecolumnsandtheorientationselectivityofneuronsinvisualcortex isnotconsidered. Similarly,modelsdealingwiththecellularmechanismsunderlying long-termplasticityandwithapproachestolearningandmemorybasedonmodifica- tionofHebbiansynapsesarenotconsidered. Relativelyabstractattemptstounder- standhigherlevelandcognitiveprocessesbasedonneuralnetsrepresentasecond, majorareaofworkthatisnottreated. Modelsofcognitiveprocessesbasedon dynamicalsystemsmethodsinwhichnoattemptismadetoincludethebiophysical featuresofindividualneuronsarealsonotconsidered. vii viii Thetenmajorchaptersfallintothreegroups. Thefirstgroupdealswith compartmentalmodelsofindividualcorticalneurons. LyleBorg-Grahamprovides PREFACE anintroductiontothemethodsinvolvedinconstructingcompartmentalmodels andthenreviewstheexistingmodelsofhippocampalpyramidalcells. Becauseof theeffectivenessofhippocampalslicepreparations,theseneuronshavewell-ehar- acterizedbiophysicalproperties. Thischapterillustrateshowcompartmentalmod- elscanbeusedtosynthesizeexperimentaldataandprovideanintegrativeviewof thepropertiesofindividualneurons. PaulRhodescontinuesthethemebyfocusing ontheroleofvoltage-gatedchannelslocatedonthedendritesofcorticalneurons. Thisisanareainwhichtechnologicaladvancesinthevisualizationofneuronsin slicepreparationsbasedoninfraredmicroscopyhavegreatlyexpandedtheinfor- mationavailableondendriticfunctioninjustafewyears. Thechapterbothreviews theexperimentaldataonactivedendriticconductancesandemphasizestheirpo- tentialfunctionalroles. Thesecondgroupofchaptersdealwiththegenerationofreceptivefield propertiesofneuronswithinvisualcortex. Theyaddressissuesstemmingfromthe originalattempttounderstandhowthereceptivefieldpropertiesofneuronsincat andmonkeyprimaryvisualcortexaregeneratedbyinteractionsbetweengenicu- lateafferentsandcorticalneurons. ThechapterbyFlorentinWorgotterevaluates modelsthathavebeenusedtoanalyzethegenerationofreceptivefieldproperties. RodneyDouglasandhiscolleaguesaddressaspecificsetofissuesdealingwiththe roleofintracorticalexcitationmediatedbypyramidalcellcollaterals. Animportant featureofthischapterisitsrelationtoattempttoconstructfabricatedcircuitsthat duplicatethefunctionsofcorticalcircuits. ThechapterbyPhilipUlinskifocuseson thegenerationofmotion-selectivepropertiesincorticalneurons. Itseekstoidenti- tycellularmechanismsusedbyneuronsthatrespondpreferentiallytovisualstimuli movingwithparticularspeedsordirections. MatteoCarandiniandhiscolleagues discussthefeatureofcorticalneurons,knownasgaincontrol,thatallowsneurons torespondeffectivelytovisualstimulibypoolinginformationacrosspopulationsof corticalneurons. ThechapterbyHughWilsondealswiththereceptivefieldproper- tiesofextrastriateareasandintroducesnewworkanalyzingface-selectiveneurons. Thefinalsetofchaptersconsidermodelsofensemblesofthalamicandcortical neurons. ThechapterbyWilliamLyttonandElizabethThomasusesthetheoryof dynamicalsystemstoanalyzethetemporalrelationshipsbetweenthalamicand corticalneurons. Animportantfeatureoftheinteractionbetweenthalamusand cortexisthepresenceofoscillationsthatdependinpartuponthevoltage-gated conductancespresentonindividualneuronsandinpartonthestructureofthe overallnetwork. PaulBushcontinuesthisemphasisonoscillationsbydiscussinga modelthatdealswiththegenerationofsynchronizedoscillationsinvisualcortex. Oscillationsofthiskindhaveattractedsubstantialattentioninrecentyearsbecause oftheirpotentialroleincognitiveprocesses. Thelastchapter,byMichaelHasselmo andChristianeLinster,reviewstheirworkonmodelingpiriformcortex,emphasiz- ingtheroleofcholinergicmechanismsinmodulatingtheactivityofcorticalneu- rons. Anattempthasbeenmadethroughouttomakethevolumeaccessibleto readerswithminimalmathematicalbackgrounds. Thevolumethusbeginswitha shorthistoryofmodelsofcorticalneuronsandcircuitrythatintroducestheprinci- palmodelingstyles. ThechaptersbyWorgotterandUlinskicontainmoreextensive ix introductionstosomeofthemodelingmethodsthathavebeenusedtostudyvisual cortex,andthemathematicallychallengedreaderwillfindthatthechapterby PREFACE LyttonandThomascontainsareadableintroductiontotheuseofdynamical systemstheoryinneurobiology. PhilipS. Ulinski EdwardG. Jones Chicago and Davis Contents Chapter 1 ModelingCorticalCircuitry:AHistoryandProspectus PhilipS. Ulinski 1. Introduction "...1 2. LorentedeNothroughDynamicalSystemsModels...2 2. 1. LorentedeNo...2 2. 2. CellAssembliesandNeuralNets...3 2. 3. DynamicSystemsModels...8 3. HodgkinandHuxleythroughNetworkModels...11 3. 1. HodgkinandHuxley...11 3. 2. WilfridRall...11 3. 3. SoftwarePackages...13 3. 4. RealisticModelsofCorticalNetworks...14 4. Prospectus...14 5. References...15 Chapter 2 InterpretationsofDataandMechanismsforHippocampalPyramidal CellModels LyleJ Borg-Graham 1. Introduction...19 1. 1. NeuronModelEvolution-followingElectrophysiology...19 1. 2. NeuronModelEvaluation-followingtheParameters...21 1. 3. WhyHippocampus? 21 1. 4. OrganizationofThisChapter...22 xi xii 2. TheDatabaseforSingle-NeuronModels...23 2. 1. VoltageClampversusCurrentClamp...23 CONTENTS 2. 2. Single-ChannelversusMacroscopicCurrents...24 2. 3. TypeofPreparation...24 2. 4. KineticandPharmacologicalDissection...25 2. 5. TemperatureDependence...26 2. 6. AgeDependence...27 2. 7. HippocampalSubfieldDependence...27 2. 8. DifferencesinFiringPropertiesbetweenSharpversusPatch Recordings...28 2. 9. TheMeasuredVoltage...

Uniquely designed to reflect the physician's decision-making process, Walters & Karram Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery presents definitive, state-of-the-art guidance on every aspect of female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery. This practical, atlas-style resource covers everything from basic concepts through to clinical and urodynamic evaluation, management, and treatment, equipping you to make the best clinical decisions and optimize outcomes. Edited and authored by renowned experts in the field, this updated 5th Edition is an ideal resource for urogynecology fellows and practitioners, urologists, and OB/GYNs who need a step-by-step, comprehensive reference on the latest procedures and research to evaluate and treat female pelvic floor disorders. Offers a comprehensive approach to all urogynecologic disorders, including genuine stress incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, defecation disorders, painful and irritative voiding disorders, and specific conditions such as urinary tract infection. Provides algorithmic approaches to common complaints, evidence-based assessments of appropriate therapies, and hundreds of clear surgical illustrations, photographs, and radiographs. Features an all-new video collection to clearly demonstrate key procedures. Contains new chapters on Urology for the Urogynecologist and Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome. Contains timely discussions of surgical complications, the psychosocial issues associated with treating patients with female pelvic floor disorders, and female sexual function and dysfunction. Includes case presentations from leading experts in urogynecology and urology that allow you to apply the information presented to everyday clinical situations. Enhanced eBook version included with purchase. Your enhanced eBook allows you to access all of the text, figures, and references from the book on a variety of devices.

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1011 1 2 3 4111 This book provides coverage of a broad range of topics in the ?eld of neurosurgery, 5 for residents and registrars in training and for recent graduates of training programs. 6 As neurosurgical training incorporates expertise from centers worldwide, there is a 7 need to have input from specialists in neurosurgery from various countries. This text 8 is a compilation by expert authors in the USA and the UK to provide information on 9 the basic knowledge and clinical management required for optimal care of neuro- 2011 surgical patients. 1 The text is an up-to-date synopsis of the ?eld of neurosurgery from American and 2 British perspectives, which covers the most common clinical conditions encountered 3 by neurosurgeons. The chapters are organized under broad topics, including inves- 4 tigative studies, perioperative care, the role of newer techniques and the management 5 of tumors, vascular and traumatic lesions. Additional topics are then covered, includ- 6 ing pediatrics, spine and peripheral nerve lesions, as well as functional neurosurgery 7 and infections. We anticipate that trainees will ?nd this information useful for certi?- 8 cation examinations and recent graduates of neurosurgical training programs can 9 utilize this text as an update of the most important neurosurgical topics.

One of the hallmarks of a master surgeon is the ability to navigate a wide variety of inevitable difficult situations in surgery, whether errors in judgment, technical mistakes, or unavoidable outcomes. Under the leadership of series editor Dr. Stephen R. Thompson, the Complications in Orthopaedics series provides real-world guidance on recognizing and avoiding errors, as well as how to "course-correct" during surgery. In this volume, Drs. P. Maxwell Courtney, Yale A. Fillingham, and a team of expert surgeons describe the most common errors and complications of adult reconstruction surgery, focusing on the knee and hip and demonstrating practical solutions that are integral to improving patient outcomes. Covers key topics such as Pain Management Following Total Hip Arthroplasty and Total Knee Arthroplasty, Achieving Balance and Stability During a Total Knee Arthroplasty, Unicompartmental Knee Arthoplasty, Neurovascular Injury in Total Hip Arthroplasty, Post-operative Periprosthetic Fractures in Total Hip Arthroplasty, Hip Preservation: Complications of PAO?, and many more. Describes and offers solutions to the most common or most devastating errors and complications in the practice of adult reconstruction surgery, combining the breadth of knowledge of academic surgeons with the in-the-trenches skills of community surgeons. Uses an easy-to-follow, standardized chapter format that covers preoperative errors, intraoperative issues, and postoperative complications. Includes procedural video clips to reinforce discussions in the text. Features a full-color design with numerous photographs, radiographs, and illustrations. Includes introductory material on relevant anatomy and necessary background information. Enhanced eBook version included with purchase. Your enhanced eBook allows you to access all of the text, figures, and references from the book on a variety of devices.

This book will incorporate a multimodality approach toward inflammatory bowel diseases. Up to date imaging methodologies will be described along with their strengths and weaknesses that will help in providing a rational diagnostic strategy for clinical, surgical and support teams working with these patients. Advances in medical and surgical treatment would be detailed and these would be useful to readers and professionals keen to implement these techniques in their own clinical practice.

Since the publication of the first edition, there have been advances in both the diagnosis and the management of many of the cholestatic liver diseases. Cholestatic Liver Disease, Second Edition thoroughly updates the topics previously addressed, such as primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and cholestatic variants of drug hepatotoxicity and viral disease. New treatments, such as the development of the farnesoid X receptor agonists for the treatment of PBC, are highlighted. Current guidelines and areas of uncertainty are also covered. Additionally, new chapters have been added to reflect the changing landscape of cholestatic liver disease. Cholestatic Liver Disease, Second Edition is a concise yet comprehensive summary of the current status of the field and is of value to clinicians and researchers interested in patients with cholestatic liver disease provide that will help to guide patient management and stimulate investigative efforts.

Minimally Invasive Surgery of the Foot and Ankle represents a novel approach to treatment of orthopedic problems in the foot and ankle. The gradual change of philosophy in the management of foot and ankle surgery means that patients require a less invasive approach to surgery and a consequent improvement in recovery time. Describing the techniques and, importantly, the indications for minimally invasive procedures for the management of foot and ankle ailments, this book will explain the management of various conditions and how they can be approached using minimally invasive techniques. However, rather than only concentrating on minimally invasive surgery of the foot and ankle, the authors will be examining the options open to surgeons operating in this area both open surgical and arthroscopic and explaining the benefits of each. Extensive radiographs, diagrams, and intra-operative pictures will illustrate the procedures described.

This book offers a thorough and accessible look into the importance of recovery in both staying healthy and performing well, and highlights the detrimental effects of underrecovery on physical and mental health. Internationally renowned experts from psychology, physiology, sport medicine, health, and sport science offer interdisciplinary analysis of the effects of underrecovery as well as the use of applied intervention and prevention strategies. Over the last few decades, research in sports has provided numerous studies showing the importance of addressing recovery to find recovery-stress balance and build resources that help prevent illness and promote healthy living and well-being. Each chapter of this volume discusses a specific area of recovery, providing a collection of useful and practical lessons athletes and non-athletes can take forward in their training and beyond. Focusing on both research and applied counseling techniques to discuss recovery as an underestimated factor in physical and mental health, the book aims to enlighten readers on ways to incorporate recovery into their everyday lives to reduce stress and prevent injury. The book is written for the scientific community, applied health scientists, students, and interested readers. It draws on experiences and scientific findings from the field of sport to make them usable for an expanded understanding of recovery in the field of health and related areas such as the workplace.

Brilliant, volatile and invariably male, the surgeon stereotype is a widespread and instantly recognisable part of western culture. Setting out to anatomise this stereotype, Cold, hard steel offers an exciting new history of modern and contemporary British surgery. The book draws on archival materials and original interviews with surgeons, analysing them alongside a range of fictional depictions, from the Doctor in the House novels to Mills & Boon romances and the pioneering soap opera Emergency Ward 10. Presenting a unique social, cultural and emotional history, it sheds light on the development and maintenance of the surgical stereotype and explains why it has proved so enduring. At the same time, the book explores the more candid and compassionate image of the surgeon that has begun to emerge in recent years, revealing how a series of high-profile memoirs both challenge the surgical stereotype and simultaneously confirm it. -- .

This practical guide is a compendium of contemporary views on the development, treatment, and prevention of urinary stone disease. Emphasis is placed on utilizing current research to highlight areas of potential discovery and inspire novel approaches to easing the burden of urinary stone disease.

Studies over the past decade have continued to bring tremendous advances to our understanding of bone biology. New pathways have been discovered and expanded our knowledge of the ways in which genes and gene products affect bone cells and thereby bone mass and bone strength. In Bone Research Protocols, Second Edition, expert researchers in the field detail many methods commonly used to study bone biology. Focusing mainly on in vitro methods, this volume gives techniques for isolation, culture and functional analysis of all bone cell types and details a range of imaging methods, including light and ultrastructural microscopy and live cell imaging. Some important in vivo techniques are included, such as analysis of bone resorption and imaging using X rays, fluorescent or luminescent techniques. Methods for study of proteins and nucleic acid are included and methods for analysis of bone composition, measurement of bone strength, and response to mechanical stimulation are described. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Bone Research Protocols, Second Edition seeks to aid scientists in the bone field to establish new techniques in their laboratories.

As an addition to the European postgraduate training system for young neurosurgeons we began to publish in 1974 this series of Advances and Technical Standards in Neurosurgery which was later sponsored by the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies. This series was first discussed in 1972 at a combined meeting of the Italian and German Neurosurgical Societies in Taormina, the founding fathers of the series being Jean Brihaye, Bernard Pertuiset, Fritz Loew and Hugo Krayenbiihl. Thus were established the principles of European co operation which have been born from the European spirit, flourished in the European Association, and have throughout been associated with this series. The fact that the English language is well on the way to becoming the international medium at European scientific conferences is a great asset in terms of mutual understanding. Therefore we have decided to publish all contributions in English, regardless of the native language of the authors. All contributions are submitted to the entire editorial board before publi cation of any volume. Our series is not intended to compete with the publications of original scientific papers in other neurosurgical journals. Our intention is, rather, to present fields of neurosurgery and related areas in which important recent advances have been made. The contributions are written by specialists in the given fields and constitute the first part of each volume.

In Motor Activity and Movement Disorders thirteen state-of-the-art articles explicate forefront research methodologies for measuring and interpreting motor activity in animals, as well as their applications to preclinical and clinical research involving motor disorders. The contributors emphasize motor asymmetries, turning behavior, and dyskinetic movements. They also present a variety of quantitative approaches designed to assess specific aspects of motor activity and illustrate numerous computerized measuring techniques that permit detailed and objective approaches to quantifying motor behavior.
Motor Activity and Movement Disorders will contribute to a greater understanding of brain-behavior relationships through its focus on methodology and its application to current animal models and to human disorders.

This book provides a state-of-the-art update, as well as perspectives on future directions of research and clinical applications in the implementation of biomechanical and biophysical experimental, theoretical and computational models which are relevant to military medicine. Such experimental and modeling efforts are helpful, on the one hand, in understanding the aetiology, pathophysiology and dynamics of injury development and on the other hand in guiding the development of better equipment and protective gear or devices that should ultimately reduce the prevalence and incidence of injuries or lessen their hazardous effects. The book is useful for military-oriented biomedical engineers and medical physicists, as well as for military physiologists and other medical specialists who are interested in the science and technology implemented in modern investigations of military related injuries.

This issue of Surgical Clinics of North America focuses on Surgical Patient Safety and is edited by Dr. Feibi Zheng. Articles will include: Human factors approach to surgical patient safety; Teamwork and surgical team based training; Effective handoffs and transfers in surgical patient safety; Effective implementation and utilization of checklists in surgical patient safety; Standardized care pathways as a means to improve patient safety; Evolution of risk calculators and the dawn of artificial intelligence in predicting patient complications; Remote monitoring technology/use of telemedicine to detect and address surgical complications; Rescue after surgical complications; The economics of surgical patient safety; The trainee's role in patient safety/training residents and medical students in surgical patient safety; The second victim: building surgeon resiliency after complications; Processes to create a culture of surgical patient safety; Provision of defect free care: implementation science in surgical patient safety; Administrative and registry databases for patient safety tracking and quality improvement; and more!

Bone is ubiquitous and versatile, and uniquely repairs itself without scarring. However, we rarely see bone in its living state-and even then, mostly in two-tone images that only hint at its marvels. After it serves and protects vertebrate lives, bone reveals itself in surprising ways, sometimes hundreds of millions of years later. In Bones, orthopaedic surgeon Roy Meals explores and extols this amazing material that both supports and records vertebrate life. He demystifies the biological makeup of bones; how they grow, break and heal; and how medical innovations-from the first X-rays to advanced surgical techniques-enhance our lives. With enthusiasm and humour, Meals also reveals the enduring presence of bone outside the body-as fossils, ossuaries, tools, musical instruments-and celebrates allusions to bone in history, religion and idiom. Approachable and entertaining, Bones richly illuminates our bodies' essential framework.

The World Health Organization's recently published Global Report on Drowning found that drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide-making the information presented in this new book an important part of the global effort to reduce this health risk. Written by leading researchers and academics from around the world, The Science of Beach Lifeguarding focuses on the scientific evidence that underpins what is taught to and practised by beach lifeguards. It is the first book to pull together all the different areas involved in beach lifeguarding and evaluate their evidence base. An accessible and informative reference underpinned by the best current research, the book's key themes cover the context of beach lifeguarding, the physical environment in which lifeguards work, medical aspects, practical lifeguarding techniques, physiological standards for lifeguards, safety education, and future developments in beach lifeguarding. The book presents groundbreaking work quantifying the scientific rationale behind a universally accepted fitness standard. It supplies an in-depth examination of the risks and hazards associated with the beach environment, including rip currents and cold water immersion. The book includes a state-of-the-art review of drowning and a comprehensive chapter on first aid. Detailing the recently announced 2015 European Resuscitation Council Guidelines, this book is a must-have for beach lifeguards, beach lifeguard managers, search and rescue personnel, paramedics, sports scientists, health and safety practitioners, and occupational health practitioners.

The proposal for this book is to offer a systematic description of the most frequent complications occurring in the three parts of the digestive tract: HPB, Upper GI and colorectal tracts. Every complication, from esophageal to the rectum, is described systematically through two or three practical cases as has been treated by actual surgical practices of authors serving as surgeon practitioners. Description of the case, presentation of indication for surgery, type of primary surgical intervention and complication is described textually but also and by means of clinical signs, laboratory tests, radiological studies (CT scans and schematic drawings) and other methods used for diagnosis and treatment. The reader will have access to a practical book in which every current complication can be easily recognized, along with relevant information as guide for an adequate treatment.