During the past three decades, Vascular Surgery has emerged as a specialty within general surgery. Fellowships are now available to equip surgeons with specialized skills for managing various vascular problems. Nev­ ertheless, the vascular surgical emergency, one of the greatest challenges in surgical management, may occur suddenly and at a time and place remote from the highly qualified vascular surgeon or a specialized center where complex vascular treatment is routine. The initial evaluation and treatment must be undertaken by a general surgeon who determines the extent, sever­ ity, and urgency of the problem at hand, and hopefully will arrange appro­ priate transfer to a specialized center if the patient's condition permits. Urgent problems, on the other hand, demand immediate surgical interven­ tion by the general surgeon if any hope for salvage is to occur. It is in this set­ ting that this volume offered by Professor Staudacher may be of assistance to the general surgeon whose experience in this type of emergency may be limited. This concise, well illustrated volume should serve as a guide to manage the peripheral vascular emergency involving either the arte rial or venous system.