edited by Nadey S Hakim (Hammersmith Hospital London, UK) & Vassilios E Papalois (Hammersmith Hospital London, UK)

Table of Contents (188k)
Preface (53k)
Chapter 1: A History of Surgical Complications (188k)

As Professor Owen H Wangensteen, one of the greatest academic surgeons of the 20th century, said: “You are a true surgeon from the moment you are able to deal with your complications.” Prompt and accurate diagnosis, as well as effective treatment, of surgical complications is one of the most important elements of surgical practice. This is today more important than at any other time, since over the last 20 years we have witnessed the development of new surgical sub-specialties, the performing of complicated operations in very challenging patients, the introduction of new technologies in surgical practice and, last but not least, an increasing interest in monitoring the quality, medico-legal implications, and ethical dimensions of surgical practice and malpractice. As surgical complications have been presented briefly and sporadically in various books and only as a small part of chapters dealing with surgical techniques, there is a pressing need for a modern textbook dealing with the diagnosis, treatment, auditing, medico-legal implications and ethical problems related to surgical complications.

Written by internationally known authors, the chapters deal with both the general issues regarding the surgical complications and the specific issues related to each surgical specialty. Each chapter includes: clinical presentation; diagnosis (clinical, laboratory investigations, imaging); treatment (conservative, surgical); and outcome.

• Surgical Wound Complications (U Khan)
• Complications in Breast Surgery (L A Newman & V K Sondak)
• Complications of Head and Neck Surgery (P J Bradley & A A Narula)
• Complications of Cardiothoracic Surgery (J Chikwe & T Athanasiou)
• Complications of Vascular Surgery (C N Compton et al.)
• Complications of Surgery of the Upper Gastrointestinal Tract (C B Gaughan et al.)
• Complications in Endocrine Surgery (P B Kekis et al.)
• Surgical Complications in Paediatric Surgery (M T Dosani et al.)
• Complications of Urological Surgery (T J Greenwell & A R Mundy)
• Complications of Gynaecological Surgery (K Sieunarine & J R Smith)
• Complications of Neurosurgery (W M Kirsch & L Dayes)
• Complications in Orthopaedic Surgery (W Dandachli & J P Cobb)
• Complications of Microsurgery (E Owen)
• Complications of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (I Pitanguy et al.)
• Complications of Minimally Invasive Surgery (R Aggarwal et al.)
• Complications in Transplantation Surgery (K Vlachos et al.)
• Complications of Interventional Radiological Procedures (G Conder & W Gedroyc)
• Psychiatric Complications Related to Surgical Procedures (J L Dwyer & S Reid)
• Medico-Legal Issues (V J Mansell & M A Mansell)
• and other chapters