Surgery remains a challenge for young learners. Perhaps the most

difficult of all surgeries are those done on the liver, biliary tree and

pancreas. These organs are difficult to expose, difficult to operate

and the patients are often difficult to recover. There are significant

consequences for any missteps on what is a narrow pathway to a

successful outcome.

The skills needed to master surgery on these

organs are hard to acquire. The volume of information presented to

students is enormous and complex to parse. HPB textbooks contain a large

amount of information from various authors but are often poorly

coordinated. Surgical manuals contain significant anatomic details and

descriptions but have difficulty transferring key concepts. Experienced

surgeons are often oblivious to their skills and communicate poorly to

their students regarding the things they do or understand that make them

wise. This book tries to capture this wisdom.

The topics in this

book are most applicable to hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgeons but

really extend to all general surgeons. Anyone who operates in the

abdomen must have a basic understanding of these dominant organs,

general surgery trainees and staff are an additional focus of this book.

The skills needed for a modern surgeon to succeed are much broader than

the scalpel tip. Section I, “HPB Surgical Craft”, imparts important

lessons on the laws of human interactions and cognitive aspects of

surgery. Sections on the anatomy and operations on the liver, pancreas

and bile ducts are presented. The expanded gallbladder section and

pancreatitis chapters are of particular importance to general surgery

residents. This book has been written in a readable and entertaining

style, with many fun historical and contemporary quotes dotted

throughout.

The Wise Scalpel is an attempt to impart knowledge

and understanding to students and practicing surgeons at all levels. The

book focuses on tips, traps and underlying truths about the diseases of

these organs and their surgical treatment. While this book will not

supplant the struggle needed to move from novice to expert surgeon,

hopefully it will quicken the process and help avoid some of the dangers

and frustrations along the way.