Scott R. Steele • Justin A. Maykel
Bradley J. Champagne • Guy R. Orangio
Editors

2014

Decision-Making and Management

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defi nes complex as “a whole made up of complicated or interrelated parts.” For surgeons, this could not be more accurate, as there remains a seemingly never-ending assortment of complex patient disease processes and complications that permeate colorectal surgery and precisely illustrate this defi nition. Even when the technical challenges of surgery are managed successfully, the preoperative evaluation and decision-making can be demanding, and postoperative functional changes may impact short- and long-term quality of life.