Book excerpt: Winner of a HIGHLY COMMENDED AWARD in the Surgical specialties category of the 2011 BMA Medical Book Competition. Key Questions in Cardiac Surgery will systematically cover all the main topics involved in the current practice of a cardiac surgeon. It will incorporate current guidelines for practice (such as from the American Heart Association and European Society of Cardiology) and up-to-date information based on current literature. The data and body of knowledge presented in this book are strictly evidence-based which makes it ideal as a revision aid for residents/registrars undertaking their Cardiothoracic Surgery Board examinations around the world. Although these examinations vary in format in different countries, this book is applicable to all cardiothoracic surgical trainees. Its concise, yet complete coverage of the important topics, make it the ideal guide to answer the key questions in cardiac surgery that are asked within the confines of an examination. Cardiologists, cardiothoracic intensive care unit specialists, nursing staff, physiotherapists and other professions allied to medicine, both surgical and cardiological, will also find the book useful in terms of the indications and surgical management of these patients, as they are integral to the cardiac surgical process.