General Surgical Operations is a highly-praised and comprehensive textbook of operative surgery. It is a practical manual aimed at the surgeon who is about to carry out an operation, rather than just a description of the principles suitable for an examiner.

Kirk’s General Surgical Operations continues to be aimed at a broad readership: the candidate preparing for the Intercollegiate FRCS in General Surgery or international equivalents; the trained surgeon faced, through necessity, with undertaking an infrequently performed procedure; and the many surgeons working in hospitals throughout the world without access to specialist services. It remains above all a practical text which will guide the surgeon in training, or one unfamiliar with a procedure, on how to perform it, but more importantly on how to manage the uncertainties which so often arise

This is a ‘What to do’ book. Using it the reader can aspire to gain diagnostic, decision making and operative surgical competence with confidence.

• The book is written in a clear and direct style and providing explicit instructions using descriptive headings for easy reference.

• The contents covers standard routine operations in full; non-routine and rarely performed operations are included only where appropriate and in lesser detail

• The text includes advice on topics such as patient selection; preparation and access to the site of operation; how to accomplish the procedure; closing and aftercare

• Difficulties are highlighted and advice given on how to respond to unexpected findings

• Each procedure is fully described thus avoiding repetitions and cutting cross-references to a minimum

• Regular summaries of key points in the decision making process are included.

• This Sixth Edition is now known as Kirk’s General Surgical Operations in recognition of its distinguished founding editor, Professor RM Kirk, who is now Editor Emeritus on the textbook.

• The new editorial team for the Sixth Edition comprises a colorectal surgeon, a vascular surgeon and an orthopaedic surgeon

• The contents have been restructured and radically revised into 42 chapters, the majority of which have been completely rewritten.

• Laparoscopic techniques have been incorporated into all relevant chapters.

• All the illustrations have been redrawn to improve their clarity.