Engagingly written and profusely illustrated, this book offers readers a close-up "view from the scaffolding" of some of the greatest Renaissance wall paintings at the Vatican. Beginning in the late 1400s, the greatest artists of Renaissance Italy were summoned to Rome, where they decorated the walls and ceilings of the Vatican. Expert restorer Maurizio De Luca spent his forty-year career in the Vatican Museums, including fifteen years as head restorer of the Painting Restoration Laboratory. He personally oversaw some of the most important restorations of the last half century, including wall paintings by Perugino, Botticelli, and others on the walls of the Sistine Chapel; the Pintoricchio wall paintings in the Borgia Apartments; the Raphael Rooms; and the last two frescoes by Michelangelo, in the Pauline Chapel at the Apostolic Palace. In this accessible and copiously illustrated book, De Luca conveys the kind of knowledge that can only be derived from close personal observation. The reader is offered a stunningly intimate perspective that illuminates the distinctive expressive challenges, choices, and techniques of each artist and demonstrates how the conservation process enriches the understanding and interpretation of these iconic works.

This book describes the surgical bariatric procedures most frequently performed worldwide and examines their evolution in recent years both within Italy and internationally. For each operation, indications, the surgical technique, potential complications, and the outcomes with respect to weight and obesity-associated comorbidities are presented. In view of the significant failure rate revealed by studies on the long-term results of bariatric surgery, the problem of weight regain and revision surgery are also discussed in detail, covering the different types of revision, conversion to other procedures, and the main outcomes. In addition, individual chapters focus on selected topics of importance. The role of bariatric surgery in the cure of type 2 diabetes ("diabetes surgery") is discussed and the debate over the significance of gastroesophageal reflux disease and hiatal hernia for choice of procedure is summarized. Finally, the most common endoluminal procedures, which have been gaining in importance, are described and other bariatric operations, outlined.

This book describes the surgical bariatric procedures most frequently performed worldwide and examines their evolution in recent years both within Italy and internationally. For each operation, indications, the surgical technique, potential complications, and the outcomes with respect to weight and obesity-associated comorbidities are presented. In view of the significant failure rate revealed by studies on the long-term results of bariatric surgery, the problem of weight regain and revision surgery are also discussed in detail, covering the different types of revision, conversion to other procedures, and the main outcomes. In addition, individual chapters focus on selected topics of importance. The role of bariatric surgery in the cure of type 2 diabetes ("diabetes surgery") is discussed and the debate over the significance of gastroesophageal reflux disease and hiatal hernia for choice of procedure is summarized. Finally, the most common endoluminal procedures, which have been gaining in importance, are described and other bariatric operations, outlined.