D. B. LONGMORE The concept ofthe meeting on which this book is based is unique. There has never be fore been a multi-disciplinary meeting based entirely on the concept of making a major branch of surgery safer. Hopefully, this meeting will be archetypal and will set a precedent for similar attempts in other disciplines as well as future efforts to make cardiac surgery safer. Cardiac surgery is still a rapidly growing discipline even after a quarter of a century of experience. Like any new area of science, or medicine, initially there is an exponential growth ofwork, publications, meetings, options of available equipment and all the ancillary and peripheral disciplines associated with it. The ideas of the handful of original surgical pioneers, some of whom have contributed to this book, formed the basis of a still rapidly growing young branch of surgery with a whole new medical discipline of total extracorporeal circulation involving biochemical and haemodynamic control of a patient.

Highly Commended, BMA Medical Book Awards 2014The development of new techniques as well as the refinement of established procedures has led to great progress in cardiac surgery. Providing an ideal synopsis of the growth in this area, Cardiac Surgery: Recent Advances and Techniques systematically reviews all the new developments in cardiac surgery,

This monograph is intended to compile the lectures presented at the 4th Annual Symposium "Cardiac Surgery:1992" held at the Frenchman's Reef Beach Resort, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, November 7-10, 1991. This symposium was organized by the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery and the School of Cardiovascular Perfusion, Cooper Hospital/University Medical Center, Camden, New Jersey and sponsored by the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Camden, Philadelphia Academy of Cardiovascular Perfusion and the American Society of Extracorporeal Technology -Region II. The symposium was devoted to cardiothoracic surgeons, cardiologists, cardiovascular perfusionists, and nurses involved in the management of the cardiac surgical patient. Therefore, the context of the book represents the multidisciplinary nature of cardiac surgery at its present level of development. The contributors to this book have critically examined their experience and discussed controversial issues regarding cardiac pathophysiology, surgical indications, operative techniques, and long term care and outcome. The co-editors wish to express their gratitude for the contributors' efforts in the production of this manuscript. We would also like to thank the members of the Organizing Committee, Jane V. Stewart MSN, RN, CCRN, Roger A. Vertrees BA, CCP, Rosemary Volosin, MSN, RN, Rosemary Morrone and Paul R. Cappola BS, CCP, who have greatly contributed to the success of the symposium.