Paediatric surgery matured as a discipline distinct from adult surgery during the second half of the 20th century. The first edition of this book was published in 1995 under the title Essentials of Pediatric Surgery. The second edition has been expanded to include sections on perioperative considerations such as paediatric anaesthesia, haematology, fluid and nutritional support, and respiratory and cardiac physiology. It is for this reason that the title was changed.

The stated aims of the book’s authors are for it to act as: (a) a reference text for paediatric surgeons, surgical residents of all specialties, and other surgeons who perform procedures on paediatric patients, and (b) a concise …