It is a pleasure to introduce a new specialist surgery series textbook entitled Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. When I was approached to edit this book, I realized that it would be a tremendous task and asked Dr. Marita Eisenmann-Klein, from Regensburg, Germany, to serve as coeditor. The reason for inviting Dr. Eisenmann-Klein was her important role as Deputy General Secretary of the International Confederation of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery and the intention, to have an international approach and divide the book into chapters where the best experts from different continents and countries would present their contributions. The 52 chapters in this book are divided into eight subcategories of topics and are outlined in the following order: Part I - General Principles presents physiology and wound healing, immunology of tissue transplantation, anesthesia, and critical care. Part II - General Surgical Techniques presents principles of wound repair, grafts, local and regional ? aps, microsurgical techniques, minimally invasive techniques of plastic surgery, liposuction techniques, biomaterials in craniofacial surgery, and tissue engineering. Part III - Skin and Adnexa presents skin anatomy and physiology, congenital malf- mations, burns and trauma, benign and malignant skin tumors, and aesthetic skin treatments.

Maria Z. Siemionow, MD, PhD, DSc, Professor of Surgery, Director of Plastic Surgery Research, Head of Microsurgery Training, Department of Plastic Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA. Marita Eisenmann-Klein MD, Deputy General Secretary of the International Confederation of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Director, Department of Plastic and Aesthetic, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, Caritas-Krankenhaus St. Josef, Regensburg, Germany

From the contents Part I. General principles.- Part II. General surgical techniques.- Part III. Skin and adnexa.- Part IV. Head and neck.- Part V. Breast.- Part VI. Hand and upper extremity.- Part VII. Trunk and lower extremity.- Part VIII. Future directions in research.