Emergency abdominal surgery is a battlefield for the surgeon - providing character-building experiences, and opportunities for triumph and disaster. In the second 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.

Reviews of the 1st edition:

"What makes this book very readable are the 'pregnant' citations, aphorisms and 'smart savings', which are often heard at the bedside and operation rooms but almost never reach the pages of a book". (P. Klein, Chirurg, 2000)

"This is written with short punchy chapters making it very difficult to put down...." (R.A.B. Wood, Journal Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, 2000)

"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, 2002)

Moshe Schein:

Previously Professsor of surgery at the Cornell Universiy Medical College, NY. A general surgeon who trained and practiced in South Africa, Isreal and currently in the USA.

Paul Rogers:

General and vascular surgeon in Glasgow, Scotland who trained and practiced in the UK, South Africa, Australia and Scotland.

Background.- General Philosophy.- A Brief History of Emergency Abdominal Surgery.- Before the Operation.- The Acute Abdomen.- Rational Diagnostic Procedures.- Abdominal Imaging.- Optimizing the Patient.- Pre-operative Antibiotics.- Family, Ethics, Informed Consent and Medicolegal Issues.- Before the Flight: Pre-op Checklist.- The Operation.- The Incision.- Abdominal Exploration: Finding What is Wrong.- Peritonitis: Contamination and Infection, Principles of Treatment.- The Intestinal Anastomosis.- Esophageal Emergencies.- Diaphragmatic Emergencies.- Upper Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage (and Portal Hypertension).- Perforated Peptic Ulcer.- Acute Pancreatitis.- Acute Cholecystitis.- Acute Cholangitis.- Small Bowel Obstruction.- Acute Abdominal Wall Hernias.- Acute Mesenteric Ischemia.- Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Other Types of Colitis.- Colonic Obstruction.- Acute Diverticulitis.- Massive Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding.- Acute Appendicitis.- Anorectal Emergencies.- Surgical Complications of Endoscopy.- Gynecological Emergencies.- Abdominal Emergencies in Infancy and Childhood.- The AIDS Patient.- Penetrating Abdominal Trauma.- Blunt Abdominal Trauma.- The Abdominal Compartment Syndrome.- Abdominal Aortic Emergencies.- Abdominal Closure.- Before Landing.- After the Operation.- Postoperative Care.- Nutrition.- Postoperative Antibiotics.- Postoperative Ileus vs Intestinal Obstruction.- Intra-abdominal Abscesses.- Anastomotic Leaks and Fistulas.- Re-laparotomies and Laparostomy for Infection.- Abdominal Wall Dehiscence.- LIRS, SIRS, Sepsis, MODS and Tertiary Peritonitis.- Wound Management.- Postoperative Bleeding.- The Role of Laparoscopy.- In the Aftermath and the M& M Meeting.