ABSTRACT
Intra-abdominal surgery has the potential for major physiological, biochemical and septic complications that are seldom encountered in other areas. The main contributor to these derangements is the gastrointestinal tract, both its contents and its function. The details of these considerations are outwith a book on operative surgery, and further reading is essential for optimum preoperative and postoperative management.1 However, an understanding of the issues involved is also essential during the surgery itself. Frequently, there is a choice of surgical solutions to a problem and the surgeon must decide before, or even during, an operation which is the most appropriate. Many factors are important in these decisions, but some general principles that may influence decisions are discussed in this chapter.
