Foreword

The foreword to this superb book has deliberately been written jointly by one old and one young academic surgeon involved in hepatobiliary surgery. The elder of us started his career with more limited access to medical publications, which were only available through printed scientific journals. International exchanges were mainly done during scientific congresses. Nowadays, the widespread use of the internet and the development of more and more sophisticated connected devices have allowed us to always stay updated and with endless amounts of information in our daily medical practice. For the younger of us, while these tools represent an endless source of knowledge, differentiating medical fads from actual scientific breakthroughs remains difficult. In hepatobiliary surgery, with the constant renewal of operative techniques (including the development of miniinvasive surgery), the ongoing evolution in our understanding of the liver regeneration process (which has allowed for the planning of complex operative strategies), and the increasing role of chemotherapeutic regimens in refining the indications for resection, it has become somewhat easy to get lost in the shuffle. This is clearly one of the main reasons why textbooks still play an important part in our medical training and practice. A surgical textbook must contain widely accredited knowledge from around the world and clearly describe state-of-the-art techniques, but it must also provide well-chosen insights regarding forthcoming trends that may represent the future of the field. Hence, the most difficult task is probably to anticipate which techniques and strategies may withstand the test of time and which ones will fade away without trace. By inviting input from some of the most renowned hepatobiliary clinicians in the world, Dr. Balzan and Dr. Gava have ensured the most relevant selection of information. We admire their undertaking of providing such extensive and important information in this “mini-Blumgart”; chapters have been meticulously selected and developed, providing a thorough overview of our specialty both for trainees and for senior surgeons. The relevant selection of suggested readings enables the reader to go even further in their understanding of every chapter, and represents a valuable feature of this book. Finally, the excellent illustrations and overall presentation of the book make it a true masterpiece, one that any reader would want on his or her bookshelf.

I am delighted to have been asked to write this additional foreword. There is no doubt that this book will make a significant contribution to the development of Hepatobiliary Surgery as a specialty. The editors have managed to produce a text that is comprehensive yet easily readable. I am sure it will be of value to not only the young resident but also a point of reference for the established surgeon.

I congratulate the editors and am confident of the success of this book, which will occupy an important place on the bookshelf of many interested in the special skills needed for successful Hepatobiliary Surgery.