The second edition of Key Topics in General Surgery has been updated to reflect changesin surgical practice that have occurred since the first edition was published in 1996. Theformat remains largely unchanged but several old topics have been discarded in favour ofnew, more relevant chapters. The old Fellowship examination has now been abandoned,and we feel that the book is well suited to trainees preparing for the MRCS.In keeping with the growth of evidence-based practice, we have attempted to indicatethe strength of evidence supporting much of the material included. Where a systematicreview.