Expanded knowledge about the pathophysiologic effects of severe in juries, advancements in the intensive care of victims of multiple injuries, and the treatment made possible by modem cardiovascular surgery make it appear sensible to combine the assessment and therapy of thoracic injuries into a synthesis of various branches of medicine. This monograph, therefore, is intended not only for the specialist in thoracic or cardiac surgery but also primarily for the person who is the first to be confronted by thoracic injuries, namely, the general surgeon or the traumatologist. It reflects my own...