Complications of Surgery of the Upper Gastrointestinal Tract

Abstract

These two volumes are the latest additions to the Bailliere Tindall Complications in Surgery series edited by J. A. R. Smith. Written in a clear, concise style, both books include complete indexes for easy reference. The authors obviously draw on extensive clinical experience in their explanations of how to avoid common complications as well as the diagnosis and treatment of these complications. The list of complications covered in each volume is extensive. However, the depth of discussion is consistently rather superficial. For example, the chapter devoted to the complications of appendectomy fills only three brief pages. Part of the difficulty lies in the decision to not fully reference the series. Instead, a brief list of suggested readings follows each chapter. Therefore, the surgical literature is rarely used to support the authors' contentions. In addition, rigorous comparison of the complications following alternate surgical treatments is usually omitted. Many important topics are