ABSTRACT
Ronald S. Chamberlain and Leslie H. Blumgart Introduction That every surgeon will experience complications is a certainty. Yet, major surgi
cal complications are often avoidable and frequently the result of three tragic surgi cal errors. These errors are: 1) a failure to possess sufficient knowledge of normal anatomy and function, 2) a failure to recognize anatomic variants when they present, and 3) a failure to ask for help when uncertain or unsure. All but the last of these errors are remediable with study and effort. In regard to the last error, most surgeons learn humility through their failures and at the expense of their patients, while some never learn.
