This, the fourth edition of Schein's Common Sense Emergency Abdominal Surgery, builds on the reputation of the three previous editions. Already a worldwide benchmark, translated into half a dozen languages, this book guides surgical trainees logically through the minefields of assessment and management of acute surgical abdominal conditions. General surgery as a concept may have been overtaken in many parts of the world by the development of niche specialties, but the need for a cohort of generalists able to deal competently with common surgical emergencies has not gone away. If you recognise this need then this is the book for you! Tyro surgeons and experienced practitioners alike will benefit from the distilled wisdom contained in these pages. The direct, no nonsense, writing style, supported by entertaining cartoons, gives clear guidance while at the same time providing amusing insights into our collective surgical pschye. NOT a standard textbook. Buy it! You'll not regret it. Some new editors and authors enhance the new edition. Almost all chapters have been revised to take account of new concepts and modern developments. New chapters have been added and some completely rewritten often with a new emphasis on the importance of a laparoscopic approach. Reviews of previous editions “This is written with short punchy chapters making it a very difficult book to put down… “. R.A.B. Wood, Journal of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh “Since Mondor’s times in the forties of the last century there was no other book in surgery to be written so easy and witty …”. Boris D. Savchuk, World Journal of Surgery “By the end I was a total enthusiast… this is a text like no other I read… Unreservedly recommended to old and young and alike.” M. Winslet, Royal Free Hospital, London, Colorectal Disease “The title describes this book perfectly. This is a no-nonsense approach to the sometimes very difficult situations in general surgery.… The authors describe their experiences in tough situations of patient care for residents and young attendings.… the historical quotes add a good amount of insight and interest. I have not come across another book like this.… Focused on the real situations that surgeons come across, the book answers the questions that are not addressed in the major textbooks.” Robert A. Hanfland, Doody’s Review Service “This book covers emergency abdominal surgery in a useful and interesting way. [It is] a small and handy book yet the coverage is wide. It would be of interest to any general surgeon and should certainly be read by surgical trainees. [It] allows mention of many things which would otherwise be excluded from a more rigidly structured work. I was also glad to be reminded of many things which I had known but forgotten. The writers clearly know what they are talking about.” David Evans, Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England A sample of testimonials posted on amazon... By Donald Dupuis, MD, Lahey Clinic ««««« “A Must Have Book. I am about to end my chief year in general surgery residency — my copy of the first edition shows the wear of half a dozen total read throughs and probably hundreds of referencings. Newest edition is equally good. For the last 3 years I have given this book to our interns if they finish their surgical internship. And I’ve paid for this myself — if you know how little residents get paid you will know how important I think it is. If you are in surgical training DO NOT WAIT ANOTHER DAY BEFORE YOU BUY THIS BOOK. I do agree with another reviewer who thought a bit of cool surgical technique would have been good too. But, all in all, best, most useful little book on surgery ever. Nuff said.” By Chet A. Morrison, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Director of Surgical Critical Care, Michigan State University «««« “A very useful practical guide. This is a fine book in the tradition of ‘guides to being on call’ — or maybe the ‘guide to the perplexed’. I like the straightforward get to the point style, and the directness of the book makes this a useful book to have handy when confronted with some of the emergency surgery problems. I would only say it could have had a bit more on surgical technique, and one or two references would have been useful (instead there was almost a militant insistence on as few as possible). But I would recommend it for any resident who is on call, and I find it useful as a staff sugeon as well.” By K. M. Kemp ««««« “Love it. I’m a big fan of this book, having just finished it a month ago. It’s a good mix of the author’s own experience as well as expert commentary when indicated. Compared to a textbook, it’s much more engaging and easier to read. Also compared to a text, it seems much more practical in the advice it gives. As a brand new intern, I gleaned a lot from this book. Highly recommended for fellow trainees.” By Jendri ««««« “A surgical must have. This is a very well written and very practical guide to emergency surgery. It covers virtually all aspects of emergency general surgery and does it in a very interesting way. I think this is one of the best books on the subject. For me it certainly is a must have. In the next edition, probably the only thing that I would like to add to this book would be the information about the military uniform worn by Dr Karl Schein on the photograph on one of the first pages. Dr Schein is wearing a uniform of the 1st Polish Army formed in Soviet Union in 1943. Altogether a great book.” By andreromeo ««««« “A must. Dr. Moshe Schein has a very personal view about medicine and about the art of surgery, and that is why this book is really a must for clinicians and surgeons.” By Andy ««««« “Simply perfect. The best choice in surgery for trainees! It makes the more difficult surgery areas very easy to understand. I recommend it to all surgeons.” By maxim ««««« “Worth every penny. Invaluable as a guide to assist in the resolution of a broad range of abdominal problems. The book is well structured, running from opening chapters addressing pre-operative issues, and on through a pretty complete spectrum of gut complaints likely to arise in the real world, and how best to sort them out. It’s not only useful, but very well written, and, for a text book, an absolute pleasure to read. Short bite size chapters combined with the occasional cartoon make this 3rd edition of Schein well worth the investment. Blend with Cope’s Diagnosis of the Acute Abdomen for the ideal cocktail.” By J. D. Wassner ««««« “Well-written, easy to read. Should be required reading for any General Surgery resident, & anyone who does acute-care & trauma.”

Since Mondor’s times in the forties of the last century there was no other book in surgery to be written so easy and witty… Boris D. Savchuk, World Journal of Surgery This, the fifth edition of Schein’s Common Sense Emergency Abdominal Surgery, builds on the reputation of the four previous editions. Already a worldwide benchmark, translated into half a dozen languages, this book guides surgeons logically through the minefields of assessment and management of acute surgical abdominal conditions. Tyro and experienced surgeons alike will benefit from the distilled wisdom contained in these pages. The direct, no-nonsense style gives clear guidance while at the same time providing amusing (or saddening) insights into our collective surgical psyche. Old chapters were revised or rewritten and new chapters have been added, including a completely new colorectal section with its new co-editor. Finally, in an attempt to ‘rejuvenate’ the book, Danny took over the helm while the aging Moshe was pushed down the line… Selected reviews and comments from readers of the previous edition: “What to say, perhaps the most appropriate medical book ever written.” “This is written with short punchy chapters making it a very difficult book to put down.” “By the end I was a total enthusiast… this is a text like no other I read… Unreservedly recommended to old and young alike.” “A Must Have Book. I am about to end my chief year in general surgery residency — my copy of the first edition shows the wear of half a dozen total read throughs and probably hundreds of ‘referencings’...” “Simply perfect. The best choice in surgery for trainees! It makes the more difficult surgery areas very easy to understand. I recommend it to all surgeons.” “One of the best books I have read in my life! Must read for all docs out there.” “But the moral of the book is that if scientific rigorousness (protocols, guidelines, evidence-based) and common sense are at odds, follow common sense.”

Emergency Abdominal Surgery is a battleground for the surgeon - providing character-building experiences, and opportunities for triumph and disaster. In the third edition of this 'simple' book, emergency abdominal surgery is discussed in an informal and no nonsense fashion - as practiced in the 'trenches' of the ER and the OR. The preferred approach for a given situation is discussed in context; it has to fulfill certain prerequisites: save lives, decrease morbidity, be cost effective and be performed correctly.

This volume provides an overview of the current evidence-based medical and surgical practice in emergency conditions in colorectal cancer patients. It offers a multidisciplinary perspective, taking into account the specific characteristics of colorectal cancer patients, the necessary pre-operative assessment, the endoscopic and radiological management, and the surgical treatments. Each chapter is supplemented with tables, figures, key-point boxes, schematic representations, and decision-making trees that serve as easy-to-use tools to apply in the different scenarios requiring acute care. Recommendations for best practice and the main reference articles are included for each topic, as well as numerous illustrated clinical cases with cilnical and empirical evidence regarding the surgical management of colorectal cancer. Specific technical aspects of the different surgical interventions and approaches (e.g., open surgery, laparoscopy, and robotics) are also detailed. This book is intended for residents and emergency surgeons, as well as all practictioners who treat colorectal cancer patients, such as gastroenterologists, oncologists, and radiologists.

Emergency Abdominal Surgery is a battleground for the surgeon - providing character-building experiences, and opportunities for triumph and disaster. In the third edition of this 'simple' book, emergency abdominal surgery is discussed in an informal and no nonsense fashion - as practiced in the 'trenches' of the ER and the OR. The preferred approach for a given situation is discussed in context; it has to fulfill certain prerequisites: save lives, decrease morbidity, be cost effective and be performed correctly.

Emergency Abdominal Surgery is a battleground for the surgeon - providing character-building experiences, and opportunities for triumph and disaster. In the third edition of this 'simple' book, emergency abdominal surgery is discussed in an informal and no nonsense fashion - as practiced in the 'trenches' of the ER and the OR. The preferred approach for a given situation is discussed in context; it has to fulfill certain prerequisites: save lives, decrease morbidity, be cost effective and be performed correctly.

The enthusiastic feedback received from readers of the international bestseller Schein's Common Sense Emergency Abdominal Surgery (now in its 3rd edition, translated to seven languages; Springer Verlag; ISBN 9783540748205) inspired the editors to do a similar book dedicated to surgical complications: practical, non-formal, internationally relevant (in all types of practice and levels of hospitals) – and definitely not politically correct: what is considered taboo by others is not taboo for us; here we discuss everything! As in the editors’ previous book, the use of references is restricted to the absolute minimum, and citing figures and percentages is avoided as much as possible. The chapters in this book are the opinion of experts – each contributor has a vast personal knowledge and clinical experience in the field he is writing about. This book will help all surgeons (and their patients), avoid the misery of complications, and will provide advice on the management of those that are unavoidable. Complications and death are an integral component of surgery. Surgeons have to look death in the eyes, try to prevent it and vanquish it – this is what this book is all about. "Schein’s books are always terrific reads, conveying pithy observations and practical advice and doing so with wit and scholarship. This latest is surely a must for every surgeon’s bookshelf." Abraham Verghese MD, author of CUTTING FOR STONE