"The Year Book of Surgery" brings you abstracts of the articles that reported the year's breakthrough developments in surgery, carefully selected from more than 500 journals worldwide. Expert commentaries evaluate the clinical importance of each article, and discuss its application to your practice. There's no faster or easier way to stay informed! Hot topics in the 2004 Year Book include: a 20-year follow-up of the seminal randomized trial comparing breast conservation and radiation to mastectomy; patients with previous colorectal cancer are at higher risk of developing colorectal adenomas, administration of daily aspirin helps to prevent development of future adenomas; the significant reduction of postoperative complications through use of Perioperative and postoperative nutrition; Minimally Invasive Surgery - all aspects of organ site surgery advancing to MIS approaches; and use of RAI and PET to comprehensively evaluate cancer.It also covers: islet cell transplants; 80 hour work-week for residents - the effect on surgical training and the entry of medical students into the discipline of general surgery; patient safety - volume-outcome relationship and surgical education; prediction of aneurysm risk using wall stress analysis; surgeon specialty and provider volumes are related to outcome of intact abdominal aortic aneurysm repair; and construction of anteriovenous fistula and grafts for dialysis access with clipped anastomosis associated with significantly improved patency. "The Year Book of Surgery" is published annually in September.