Preface

The natural evolution of surgical knowledge and technology meant that the traditional general surgeon concept is no longer sustainable. This has necessitated the need for sub-specialisation. Along the route, the influence of volume on outcomes was established. The end result seen today is an endorsement of subspecialisation by all the Surgical Colleges, professional societies and health care systems. “Super specialisation”, is a separate discussion for the coming decade. The traditional textbooks on general surgery can no longer provide the core knowledge for specialist training.

This book addresses the core knowledge needs of higher surgical trainees in oesophago-gastric surgery and provides a reference manual for established consultants in oesophago-gastric surgery and other specialties. It provides a practical and user-friendly reference to all relevant topics. A comprehensive but concise approach was adopted to detail the main relevant topics. Detailed discussion of rarer topics was left for the commonly practiced Internet searches. The chapters in this book are practice based. They were written by experienced clinicians who have gone through the sub-specialisation process with full awareness of the specialist educational curriculum specified by the surgical colleges and professional societies. With this book being one of the “e-book” series, it means that busy practitioners can have instant access to this book on the Internet to refresh knowledge and gain additional insight.

I am grateful to all the contributors who have shared their knowledge enthusiastically. To our readers, we hope that you enjoy reading this book, enjoy the knowledge riches in its pages and for those who are preparing for professional examinations, we wish you success.