This book was originally published in loose-leaf form in 1978. Semiannual updates were provided until the current hardcover 1981 edition was published.
The book is addressed primarily to the practicing general surgeon and is intended as a guide to good surgical judgment. It contains a great deal of information concerning preoperative preparation, intraoperative tactics, and postoperative management. It is not an atlas, although there are numberous excellent operative drawings such as Dr Urban's mastectomy illustrations and Dr McVay's herniorrhaphy dissections. The book is not a comprehensive review of all general surgery, but a careful selection of topics important to practicing general surgeons.
The subject matter is extremely well organized; there is a separate index at the end of each chapter. The quality of the illustrations is good. Most of the 15 chapters contain ending sections subtitled "Controversies" or "For the Future," or "Conclusions," which provide valuable brief overviews of unresolved