Essential Surgery: Problems, Diagnosis, and Management

“Essential Surgery” is a comprehensive and highly illustrated textbook designed for clinical medical students and junior surgical trainees preparing for postgraduate qualifications such as the MRCS. The 5th edition covers a wide range of topics, including general surgery, trauma, orthopaedics, vascular surgery, paediatric surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, and urology, integrating appropriate levels of basic science throughout. The book employs a problem-solving approach, emphasizing how diagnoses are made and why particular treatments are used, bridging basic medical sciences and clinical problems. It features original illustrations, boxes, and tables to highlight important concepts and aid revision. The principles of operative surgery and perioperative care are explained, along with outlines of common operations, enabling students and trainee surgeons to understand procedures and participate intelligently in the operating department. The 5th edition has been extensively revised to include new concepts that have advanced medical understanding, ensuring the book’s contents match the curriculum of the UK Intercollegiate MRCS examination, including topics like patient safety, surgical ethics, communication, consent, clinical audit, and principles of research. New consensus guidelines for managing common disorders have been incorporated where appropriate.