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.
