This critical volume focuses on the use of medical imaging, medical robotics, simulation, and information technology in surgery. Part I discusses computational surgery and disease management and specifically breast conservative therapy, abdominal surgery for cancer, vascular occlusive disease and trauma medicine. Part II covers the role of image processing and visualization in surgical intervention with a focus on case studies. Part III presents the important role of robotics in image driven intervention. Part IV provides a road map for modeling, simulation and experimental data. Part V deals specifically with the importance of training in the computational surgery area.

The future of surgery is intrinsically linked to the future of computational sciences: the medical act will be computer assisted at every single step, from planning to post-surgery recovery and through the surgical procedure itself. Looking back at the history of surgery, surgery practice has changed drama- cally with the extensive use of revolutionary techniques, such as medical imaging, laparoscopy, endoscopy, sensors and actuators, and robots. This trend is dependent on the use of computer processing, computational method, and virtualization. Computational surgery will not only improve the ef?ciency and quality of surgery, but will also give new access to very complex operations that require extreme precision and minimum intrusion. Such examples are today's inoperable cancer tumors that have invaded critical tissues or nervous centers. In order for this milestone to be reached quicker and more ef?ciently, surgeons will have to become very familiar with computing methods, such as image analysis, augmented re- ity, and/or robotics. It will be critical for surgeons to assimilate computers in their training, understand how computers work, understand the limitations/advantages of these computer tools, and be able to interpret computer imaging and simulations.