This unique book provides the reader with access to a two-year series of questions about aspects of colorectal disease, sprinkled with discussions of surgical philosophy, statistics and learned advice. It is based on questions asked of residents on their colorectal rotation in the general surgery program at Columbia University Medical College. More than 100 questions are followed by responses by Dr. Church, deliberately formulated to fill gaps in the usual treatment of the topics as covered in surgical textbooks and the literature. Many issues that occur in the care of patients with colorectal disease are covered poorly or not at all in the available literature or even in the current training programs. The series of questions upon which this book is based is an intensely practical resource, and many of the answers feature Dr. Church's wisdom gathered from his personal practice at the Cleveland Clinic. In addition, the answers to the questions are written in such a way as to optimize learning, including references, ancillary information and glossaries where necessary. Key features include a common clinical question, hypothesis or situation; a way to manage or understand the question, hypothesis or situation; and a detailed background to the response so that the reader can understand.