
ix
“An education in medicine involves both learning and learning how; the student cannot 
effectively know, unless he knows how.”
—E
XCERPT FROM ABRAHAM FLEXNER, 
“Medical Education in the United States and Canada,” 1910.
The fundamental core knowledge of general surgery remains the cornerstone of all surgical 
disciplines. Over the last decades, we have witnessed a proliferation of surgical specialties. The 
majority of graduating residents elect to pursue additional training in highly specialized fi elds 
of surgery. However, a sound foundation in general surgical techniques and principles is criti-
cal for success in these areas. Therefore, an atlas describing common general surgical proce-
dures in a clear and concise fashion is an essential complement to current surgical textbooks 
to ensure that the student not only “learns how” but, most importantly, “knows how.” With 
that said, putting together a surgical atlas is a daunting challenge. Coordinating schedules of 
busy surgeons and medical illustrators is, at times, akin to herding cats. So, why expend the 
time and effort to put this together?
For one, we have been privileged to edit the Sabiston Textbook of Surgery for the last three 
editions. This text provides a comprehensive compendium on the physiology, diagnosis, and 
treatment of surgical diseases, yet we are limited in the ability to describe the operative proce-
dures in any detail. A good textbook must provide the basic knowledge to ensure that the 
student “learns” the material. However, it is vastly different from an atlas which teaches the 
student “how.” Textbooks that have tried to be a comprehensive text as well as an atlas have 
usually failed on both accounts. Therefore, this surgical atlas series provides an important and 
necessary complement to the Sabiston Textbook of Surgery (Saunders).
The illustrations have been meticulously drawn by medical illustrators who share the same 
philosophy of art design. Illustrations are drawn in detail from the perspective of the operat-
ing surgeon, yet the drawings are simple enough that the reader is not distracted with extrane-
ous colors or overly complicated design. The essential steps of the procedure are illustrated 
with an emphasis on surgical anatomy. Each concludes with three to fi ve “pearls” or pitfalls 
from master surgeons with years of experience. Recognizing that many general surgical proce-
dures are now performed laparoscopically, we have illustrated steps of both the open and the 
minimally invasive techniques where applicable. Except for the approach and the instruments, 
the basic tenets of the dissection and attention to detail are common to both techniques.
Finally, we were inspired to produce this atlas series based on our interactions over the 
years with numerous talented and hard-working surgical residents who need a concise refer-
ence to study and review prior to entering the operative suite. This atlas is meant to provide 
these trainees with the essential steps in performing common general surgical procedures. We 
recognize that the atlas is not all-inclusive. In the interest of space, we have omitted some 
procedures which are less commonly performed by the general surgeon in practice. However, 
we believe that this atlas provides a great start.
COURTNEY M. TOWNSEND, JR., MD 
B. MARK EVERS, MD
Preface