Surgical trainees need to very rapidly gain a good understanding of the nature of the diseases they are treating and to build their own repertoire of surgical operations. They must also pass the very searching examinations, and there is consequently great pressure, within a limited time period, to obtain not only experience and training but also a considerable amount of factual and practical knowledge. Principles of Surgical Practice builds on the success of Fundamentals of Surgical Practice, and has been designed to meet the needs of Basic Surgical Trainees approaching the viva part of the Final Assessment, which tests their knowledge of operative surgery, intensive care and pathology. The editors have drawn upon the experience a team of recognised experts and experienced surgical trainers to provide their perspective on the various aspects of surgical management in chapters, presented in a way that makes learning as efficient as possible but containing sufficient detail to cover all aspects of the viva examination. Principles of Surgical Practice is indispensable to the Basic Surgical Trainee, and will also provide the established surgeon and other healthcare professionals working in the surgical environment with an overview of the key principles underpinning modern surgical practice.

1. Basic principles 2. Radiology 3. Breast and soft tissue surgery 4. Abdomen and GI tract 5. Anorectal diseases 6. Genito-urinary surgery 7. Head and neck 8. Vascular surgery 9. Cardiac and respiratory surgery 10. Orthopaedic surgery 11. Neurosurgery 12. Plastic surgery 13. Fluid balance 14. Blood and reticulo-endothelial system 15. Gastro-intestinal system 16. Neuromuscular system 17. Endocrine system 18. General concepts 19. Cell growth, differentiation and generation 20. Cell damage and response to injury 21. Blood and circulation 22. Infection 23. Handling of specimens and examination of sections.