The enthusiastic feedback received from readers of the international best-seller Schein's Common Sense Emergency Abdominal Surgery inspired the editors to do a similar book dedicated to surgical complications: practical, non-formal, internationally relevant (in all types of practice and levels of hospitals) -- and definitely not politically correct: what is considered taboo by others is not taboo for us; here we discuss everything! As in the editors' previous book, the use of references is restricted to the absolute minimum, and citing figures and percentages is avoided as much as possible. The chapters in this book are the opinion of experts -- each contributor has a vast personal knowledge and clinical experience in the field he is writing about. This book will help all surgeons (and their patients), avoid the misery of complications, and will provide advice on the management of those that are unavoidable. Complications and death are an integral component of surgery. Surgeons have to look death in the eyes, try to prevent it and vanquish it -- this is what this book is all about.