Emergency abdominal surgery is a battlefield 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 life, decrease morbidity, be cost effective and be performed correctly.

Contents: From the Content: General Philosophy.- Historical Perspectives.- Before the Operation: The Acute Abdomen.- Rational Diagnostic Procedures.- Abdominal Imaging: CT.- Optimizing the Patient.- Pre-Operative Antibiotics.- Family, Ethics, Informed Consent and Medico-Legal Considerations.- Before the Flight: Pre-Operative Checklist.- The Operation: The Incision.- Abdominal Exploration: Finding What is Wrong.- Peritonitis: Contamination and Infection, Principles of Treatment.- The Intestinal Anastomosis.- Intestinal Stomata.- Esophageal Emergencies Commentary.- Diaphragmatic Emergencies.- Upper Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage.- Perforated Peptic Ulcer.- Surgical Management of Acute Pancreatisis.- Gallbladder and Biliary Emergencies.- Small Bowel Obstruction.- Acute Abdominal Wall Hernias.- Acute Mesenteric Ischemia.- Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Other Types of Colitis.- Colonic Obstruction.- Acute Diverticulitis.- Massive Lower GI Bleeding.- Acute Appendicitis.- Anorectal Emergencies.- Surgical Complications of Endoscopy.- Complications of Bariatric Surgery.- Complications of Peritoneal Dialysis.- Gynecological Emergencies.- Urological Emergencies.- Abdominal Emergencies in Infancy and Childhood.- The AIDS Patient.- Abdominal Emergencies in the 'Third World'.- Penetrating Abdominal Trauma.- Blunt Trauma and Rx of Specific Injuries.- Abdominal Compartment Syndrome.- Abdominal Aortic Emergencies.- Abdominal Drainage.- Abdominal Closure.- Before Landing: Checklist.- etc.