Abdominal surgical emergencies (ABSEs) are acute conditions characterized by pain in the abdomen that starts within the last week and is severe enough to compromise the daily life and activities of the patient.

This book provides surgeons with the knowledge and background to offer safe, efficient, fair, and comprehensive urgent care to the sick. It covers Upper GI Tract, Lower GI Tract, HPB, Abdominal Wall, Spleen and Solid Organs, Vascular cases, and include primary conditions as well as complications of endoscopic and surgical procedures. Chapters are short, precise, and concise, addressing the list of disease conditions, how to diagnosis them, how to identify and choose the recommended treatment options according best evidence and the use of best practices in these emergency situations. Each chapter ends with an expert’s opinion where to perform a critical appraisal and let the audience understand how to perform the decision-making process, including diagnosis and treatment.

With contributions from leading experts in the field, this edited volume is a definitive reference for surgeons worldwide and applicable to different surgical practices, patients, health care delivery systems and levels of resources. It is a practical, up-to-date guide for surgeons both in training and consultants, endoscopists, gastroenterologists, general surgeons and emergency and acute care physicians.

Alberto R Ferreres, MD, PhD, JD, MPH, FACS (Hon.) received his medical degree “summa cum laude” from the University of Buenos Aires School of Medicine, where he also completed his residence in General Surgery and a fellowship in Surgical Oncology. He was appointed International Guest Scholar of the American College of Surgeons in 1991, and he completed a fellowship in Clinical Ethics at the University of Chicago. He is currently Professor of Surgery at the University of Buenos Aires School of Medicine, and Past Department Chair and Associate Director Education and Research at the same institution. He has held roles as President of the Argentine Surgical Academy, the Argentina ACS Chapter and is currently VicePresident of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT). Furthermore, Prof. Ferreres holds Honorary Fellowships from the American Surgical Association and the American College of Surgeons, the Chinese College of Surgeons, the Brazilian College of Surgeons and the Brazilian College of Digestive Surgery, the Chilean College of Surgeons, the Ecuador College of Surgeons, the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland, the North Pacific Surgical Association and the Kosova College of Surgeons, among others. He serves on the editorial board of JAMA Surgery, Annals of Surgery, and the American Journal of Surgery and is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery Open. He also holds a professorship at the University of Washington, where he is the Co- Chair of the Center for Surgical Ethics. Prof. Ferreres is a gastrointestinal surgeon with a focus on acute care surgery, HPB and surgical oncology and with an interest in surgical ethics, global surgery and professional liability issues and has been invited as a Visiting Professor around the globe.

R. Matthew Walsh, MD
R. Matthew Walsh, MD is originally from Green Bay, Wisconsin. His undergraduate degree was obtained at Creighton University followed by a medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin. His surgical residency was at Loyola University of Chicago, followed by fellowship in surgical endoscopy at Massachusetts General Hospital and fellowship in hepatopancreaticobiliary surgery at Cleveland Clinic. He has remained at Cleveland Clinic for the duration of his career, becoming Professor of Surgery at Case Western Reserve University, Chair of the Department of General Surgery and Academic Department of Surgery at Cleveland Clinic, Chair of Surgery at Case Western University School of Medicine, Interim Chief of the Digestive Disease Institute, and Associate Chief of Staff at Cleveland Clinic. He is also the Rich Family Chair of Digestive Diseases whose clinical interests include HPB surgery, surgical endoscopy, and surgical education. He has received multiple university and institutional teaching awards. He has been President of the CRSA, and Central Surgical Association, and currently President-elect of the SSAT.

Rowan Parks
He qualified from Queens University Belfast in 1989. He pursued his surgical training in Northern Ireland and then undertook a clinical fellowship in HPB surgery at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Scotland. He is currently Professor of Surgical Sciences at the University of Edinburgh and Honorary Consultant Surgeon in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. He has held roles as President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland, and Great Britain & Ireland Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association. He has also been Director of the James IV Association, General Secretary of the International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association and Treasurer of the European-African Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association. He has been awarded Honorary Fellowships from the American College of Surgeons, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, College of Surgeons of Hong Kong, College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan, Brazilian College of Surgeons and the Association of Surgeons in India. He is also an Honorary Member of the Asian Surgical Association and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Nova Southeastern University, USA.