th Although GERD was initially described in the early 19 century, it is essentially a c- sequence of our modern day largesse. Dietary factors and associated obesity have c- bined with as yet other unknown factors (e. g. a decrease in the prevalence of H. pylori?) to make GERD one of the most common diseases affecting western society. It is es- mated that up to 20 million adults in the United States suffer from GERD, and treatment of these individuals consumes approximately $10 billion annually, the majority of it for prescription drugs used to manage the disease and its symptoms. Fortunately,...

Advanced imaging technology has greatly improved the practice of thoracic surgery in the past 35 years. Among many other benefits, the advances decreased the rate of futile thoracotomy for lung cancer from more than 20% in the 1970s to the current incidence of only a few percent.? This issue of Thoracic Surgery Clinics provides updates about recent advances in imaging of thoracic diseases, and will help practicing thoracic surgeons understand how to best frame requests so that optimally useful information emerges from an examination.

The complexity of decision making in thoracic surgery is growing exponentially. As new technology is introduced, physicians from nonsurgical specialties offer alternative and competing therapies for what was once the exclusive province of the thoracic surgeon. In addition, there is increasing knowledge regarding the efficacy of traditional thoracic surgical therapies. How to select among these varied and complex approaches is becoming increasingly difficult. The first two editions of this book have found wide acceptance among practicing surgeons, trainees, and educators. Chapters from them...