Operative Endoscopy and Endoscopic Surgery in Infants and Children PDF

Preface

Over the last few decades, first intraluminal rigid and flexible endoscopy, and more recently laparoscopic and thoracoscopic surgery have become established in pediatric medical and surgical practice. This change has been brought about by the combined efforts of innovative surgeons and physicians as well as scientists and industry the world over. As a consequence, all clinicians who use endoscopes within the tubes lumen, cavities and tissue planes of the body are now united into a multi-disciplinary group of minimal access practitioners who have undoubtedly enriched the culture of our practice and minimised the surgical trauma and morbidity of the patients.

Advances in science and technology have rendered the majority of clinical procedures possible within the scope of endoscopy and endoscopic surgery, and the desire to search for more and new procedures which might be adapted to these techniques will continue. However, the importance of placing safety first, meticulous attention to detail, familiarity with instrumentation and appropriate training cannot be over-emphasized.

Progress in pediatric medicine in general, and surgery in particular, has become so fast and is so broad that it has become difficult for any one clinician to master the breadth of the subject, and consequently a need for multi-author texts covering sub-specialized areas of pediatric practice including endoscopy and endoscopic surgery is now overwhelming.

In this book we have been fortunate to be able to draw upon the vast experience of physicians and surgeons at the forefront of clinical practice in the field of percutaneous procedures, endoscopy and endoscopic surgery. The aim has been to provide a step-by-step guide to the established endoscopic techniques in infants and children. The text also describes some not yet established and experimental but potentially significant procedures, where appropriate. While the authors have forwarded their own (often strong) views as well as some other commonly held but differing views and techniques, the emphasis throughout is on a practical guide to the areas of endoscopy and endoscopic surgery for the relative novice. A significant section of nearly all chapters is devoted to potential pitfalls and problems and their solutions and complications are highlighted throughout. This feature of the book is unique and seen vital particularly to those who are on the steep part of the learning curve.

While this text is aimed primarily at trainee and qualified pediatric surgeons and urologists, it will also prove a useful resource for pediatricians and adult surgeons and physicians undertaking endoscopy and/or endoscopic surgery for thorax, gastrointestinal, urological and other conditions in infants and children.

The vast majority of surgical line diagrams are either re-drawn or created out of the descriptive text by A Najmaldin assisted by P Brown.We are ever grateful to the publishing staff of Hodder Arnold, especially Sarah Burrows and Naomi Wilkinson, for their hard work, patience and support during the production of this volume. The preparation and writing of the text would have been impossible without the great help we have received from the hardworking secretary Parmjit Jajuha.