The global population is aging rapidly, and as a result emergency abdominal surgery for acute abdomen in the elderly has become a global issue. Demographic changes in the population have also altered the profile of emergency abdominal surgery, with typical causes of acute abdomen in the elderly including acute cholecystitis, incarcerated hernia, bowel obstruction and appendicitis. In these patients, recovery from surgery is often complicated, leading to longer hospital stays compared with younger patients. In recent years, numerous innovations in terms of both strictly surgical and anaesthetic techniques but also of diagnostic possibilities (one for all indocyanine green) have appeared in the surgical world to confirm the feasibility of the laparoscopic approach in elderly and frail patients, as well as the increase in relative experience has led to scientific evidence that adds value to the whole.

In this new edition, in addition to the updates of the already existing chapters, new contributions will be added, providing an invaluable insights into the latest research and practices, equipping readers with the knowledge to improve patient outcomes in this critical field.

This volume will be an essential resource  for surgeons, anesthesiologists, and healthcare professionals involved in geriatric care. 

Carlo Bergamini, MD, PhD, is a general and emergency surgeon at the Emergency Surgery Unit of Careggi University Hospital in Florence, Italy, where he has worked since 2006. He was trained at the University of Florence and the University of Strasbourg and is a specialist in General Surgery and Allergology and Clinical Immunology, with extensive professional training and experience in Emergency Medicine. His clinical and surgical activity encompasses emergency and acute care surgery, minimally invasive surgery, colorectal and gastric surgery, splenic and adrenal surgery, as well as the management of complex surgical patients. He has performed more than 2,500 surgical procedures, including a substantial number of basic and advanced laparoscopic operations and emergency procedures. He has longstanding expertise in point-of-care and diagnostic ultrasonography, including abdominal, surgical, vascular, and interventional ultrasound. He has completed advanced training in trauma and emergency care, including BLS, ACLS and ATLS, as well as the principal first- and second-level courses in trauma and damage-control surgery, including Definitive Surgical Trauma Care (DSTC). His main scientific interests include emergency and acute care surgery, minimally invasive and laparoscopic surgery, adrenal and endocrine surgery, colorectal surgery, abdominal wall surgery, surgical complications, trauma, and the management of critically ill surgical patients. Also adrenal surgery and emergency minimally invasive surgery have represented particularly longstanding areas of clinical and scientific interest.nDr Bergamini is the author or co-author of more than 170 scientific publications. He has authored or contributed to several scientific books and monographs in the fields of endocrine, oncological, laparoscopic, and emergency surgery. He has also contributed to national and international scientific initiatives and guidelines in minimally invasive and emergency surgery. He is actively involved in academic teaching at the University of Florence, particularly in postgraduate surgical education, and has been awarded the Italian National Scientific Qualification for the position of Associate Professor in General Surgery. He has been invited as speaker, moderator, and chair at numerous national and international scientific meetings. He is a member of the Executive Board of the Italian Society of Endoscopic Surgery and New Technologies (SICE) and served as President of the XXII SICE National Congress, held in Florence in September 2025 under the title “Surgery between Science, Humanism and Humanity.”

Ferdinando Agresta  is Chief of the Department of General Surgery of the Community Hospitals in  Vittorio Veneto (TV) , in the North-East of Italy . He has been the main investigator in several studies on emergency and elective laparoscopy. He has been involved in writing several guidelines on laparoscopy and emergency laparoscopy. He is author of more than 200 papers in peer-reviewed journals, and he is Editor of five books on emergency laparoscopic surgery published by Springer. He has been a member of the research committee of the EAES, and currently member of the Educational and Training committee of the same Society. He is the  former  President of the Italian Society of Laparoscopic surgery and new technologies (SICE). Dr. Agresta's main field of interest is laparoscopic surgery, in particular in the emergency setting. He has done much research in this field, involved in retrospective and prospective national and international studies on the topic. He is often invited to share his knowledge and experience about emergency laparoscopy in international research and scientific meetings. Currently, Dr. Agresta's interest is focused on the analysis of the outcomes of the laparoscopic approach in both scheduled and emergency surgery in the elderly.

Mauro Podda is Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Cagliari and Honorary Consultant Surgeon at Cagliari University Hospital, Italy. He performs elective and emergency general surgery, with particular expertise in minimally invasive gastrointestinal surgery and acute care surgery. Previously, he was an Honorary Clinical Fellow in Hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) Surgery at Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, United Kingdom, and an attending general surgeon with a special interest in robotic gastrointestinal and acute care surgery at the Minimally Invasive Surgery Unit, San Francesco Hospital, Nuoro, Italy. He has served as scientific lead and coordinator of numerous national and international research projects. Together with Prof. Fausto Catena, he co-chaired the development of the 2025 Jerusalem Guidelines. Prof. Podda serves on the editorial boards of several international journals, including the World Journal of Emergency Surgery and the International Journal of Colorectal Disease. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) and CARES (Collaborative Alliance for Research and Education in Surgery). He is also Scientific Coordinator of the Research Methodology in Surgery courses at the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research and teaches Surgical Methodology at the University of Cagliari.

Fabio Cesare Campanile is chief of the Division of General Surgery at the “San Giovanni Decollato Andosilla Hospital” of Civita Castellana (Italy), a specialist in general surgery, fellow of the American Board of Surgery, with a Master in Economics. Trained both in Italy and in the USA, he practices elective and emergency general surgery  with a particular emphasis on laparoscopic and bariatric surgery. He is a member of several scientific associations (among them the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery - EAES, the Italian Society of Hospital Surgeons - ACOI, the Italian Society of Colorectal Surgeons - SICCR, the World Society for Emergency Surgery – WSES and the Italian Society of Endoscopic Surgery and new technologies – SICE, on whose executive board served from 2007 to 2017. Dr. Campanile authored numerous and frequently cited scientific papers and book chapters. He is actively involved in medical writing and publishing: peer reviewer for several journals, associated editor of the International Journal of Surgery, BMC surgery, Journal of Abdominal Wall Surgery and Annals of Medicine and Surgery, editor of books for Springer International. He is often called as chairman or lecturer in national and international scientific meetings on laparoscopic, bariatric and emergency surgery. Since 2010, he is committed to the development of national and international surgical guidelines on emergency and laparoscopic surgery, most of them published on high impact international journals.

Carlo Bergamini, MD, PhD, is a general and emergency surgeon at the Emergency Surgery Unit of Careggi University Hospital in Florence, Italy, where he has worked since 2006. He was trained at the University of Florence and the University of Strasbourg and is a specialist in General Surgery and Allergology and Clinical Immunology, with extensive professional training and experience in Emergency Medicine. His clinical and surgical activity encompasses emergency and acute care surgery, minimally invasive surgery, colorectal and gastric surgery, splenic and adrenal surgery, as well as the management of complex surgical patients. He has performed more than 2,500 surgical procedures, including a substantial number of basic and advanced laparoscopic operations and emergency procedures. He has longstanding expertise in point-of-care and diagnostic ultrasonography, including abdominal, surgical, vascular, and interventional ultrasound. He has completed advanced training in trauma and emergency care, including BLS, ACLS and ATLS, as well as the principal first- and second-level courses in trauma and damage-control surgery, including Definitive Surgical Trauma Care (DSTC). His main scientific interests include emergency and acute care surgery, minimally invasive and laparoscopic surgery, adrenal and endocrine surgery, colorectal surgery, abdominal wall surgery, surgical complications, trauma, and the management of critically ill surgical patients. Also adrenal surgery and emergency minimally invasive surgery have represented particularly longstanding areas of clinical and scientific interest.nDr Bergamini is the author or co-author of more than 170 scientific publications. He has authored or contributed to several scientific books and monographs in the fields of endocrine, oncological, laparoscopic, and emergency surgery. He has also contributed to national and international scientific initiatives and guidelines in minimally invasive and emergency surgery. He is actively involved in academic teaching at the University of Florence, particularly in postgraduate surgical education, and has been awarded the Italian National Scientific Qualification for the position of Associate Professor in General Surgery. He has been invited as speaker, moderator, and chair at numerous national and international scientific meetings. He is a member of the Executive Board of the Italian Society of Endoscopic Surgery and New Technologies (SICE) and served as President of the XXII SICE National Congress, held in Florence in September 2025 under the title “Surgery between Science, Humanism and Humanity.”

Gabriele Anania is the Head of the Laparoscopic Surgery Unit at the University Hospital of Ferrara and

an Associate Professor at the University of Ferrara's Faculty of Medicine. 

He has authored over 300 publications and edited books on minimally invasive and emergency surgery published by Springer. 

He currently serves as President of SICE (Italian Society of Endoscopic Surgery e new technologies,  

and also a member of the European Society of Endoscopic Surgery. 

He is a member of the major Italian surgical scientific societies (SIC and ACOI). 

He frequently serves as a chair or speaker at national and international congresses focusing on 

oncological surgery of the colon and rectum, and on the subject of minimally invasive surgery in 

emergency settings and in the elderly.