The curriculum that evolved into the ideas for this series was inspired by two talented and forthright students, Philbert Yao and Chuck Rosipal, who have since graduated from medical school. It has been a tremendous joy to work with my friend since medical school, Terry Liu, a brilliant surgeon. It has been rewarding to collaborate once again with Andre Campbell, who has deservedly advanced to have many educational and clinical leadership roles at the University of California, San Francisco. It has been a pleasure to have Barnard Palmer, a very astute surgeon and educator, to join our team. We also thank our excellent contributors. I am greatly indebted to my editor, Catherine Johnson, whose exuberance, experience, and vision helped to shape this series. I appreciate McGraw-Hill's believing in the concept of teaching through clinical cases. I am also grateful to Catherine Saggese for her excellent production expertise and Cindy Yoo for her wonderful editing. Hardik Popli deserves acknowledgement for his amazing patience and precision as project manager for this book. At McGovern Medical School, I appreciate the great support from Drs. Sean Blackwell, Patricia Butler, and John Riggs, without whom I would not have been able to complete this book. Most of all, I appreciate my loving wife, Terri, and my four wonderful children, Andy and his wife Anna, Michael, Allison, and Christina, for their patience, encouragement, and understanding.