PART I- GENERAL PRINCIPLES.- Section 1- Physiology of Aging.- Invited Commentary.- Cellular and Molecular Aging.- Cancer, Carcinogenesis and Aging.- Effects of Aging on Immune Function.- Hematological Changes, Anemia and Bleeding.- Invited Commentary.- Nutrition and Metabolism.- Wound Healing and Aging.- Frailty and Surgery in the Elderly.- Section 2 - Social/Societal Issues.- Invited Commentary.- Demography of Aging and Disability.- Economics of Providing Surgical Care to an Aging Population: Implications for the Surgical Workforce.- Defining Quality of Care in Geriatric Surgery.- Ethics in Clinical Practice.- Teaching Geriatrics to Surgeons.- Palliative Care and Decision Making at the End of Life.- Surgery in Centenarians.- The Effects of Advanced Age on Physician Performance.- Section 3- Perioperative Issues.- Invited Commentary.- Principles of Geriatric Surgery.- Geriatric Models of Care.- Preoperative Evaluation of the Older Surgical Patient.- Invited Commentary.- Physiologic Response to Anesthesia in the Elderly.- Choosing the Best Anesthetic Regimen.- Acute Perioperative Pain Management in Elderly Patients.- Drug Usage in Surgical Patients: Preventing Medication-Related Problems.- Invited Commentary.- Common Perioperative Complications in Older Patients.- Management and Outcomes of Intensive Care in the Geriatric Surgical Patient.- Care of the Injured Elderly.- Maximizing Postoperative Functional Recovery.- PART II SPECIFIC ISSUES.- Section 1- Endocrine System/Breast.- Invited Commentary.- Surgcial Disorders of the Thyroid in the Elderly.- Parathyroid Disorders in the Elderly.- Adrenal Tumors in Older Persons.- Benign Breast Disease in Elderly Women and Men.- Breast Cancer in Elderly Women.- Diabetes in the Elderly.- Section 2- Oral Cavity, Eyes, Ears, Nose and Throat.- Invited Commentary.- Changes in the Oral Cavity with Age.- Geriatric Ophthalmology.- Anatomic and Physiologic Changes of the Ears, Nose, and Throat.- Geriatric Dysphagia.- Head and Neck Cancerin the Elderly.- Section 3 - Respiratory System.- Invited Commentary.- Physiologic Changes in Respiratory Function.- Pulmonary Surgery for Malignant Disease in the Elderly.- Section 4 - Cardiovascular System.- Invited Commentaries.- Physiologic Changes in Cardiac Function with Age.- Risk Factor for Atherosclerotic Disease in the Elderly.- Cardiac Surgery.- Surgical Treatment of Vascular Occlusive Disease.- Natural History and Treatment of Extracranial Cerebrovascular Disease.- Natural History and Treatment of Aneurysms .- Section 5 - Gastrointestinal System.- Invited Commentary.- Physiologic Changes of the Gastrointestinal Track.- Benign Esophageal Disease.- Esophageal Cancer in the Elderly.- Benign Diseases of the Stomach and Duodenum.- Gastric Cancer in the Elderly.- Small Bowel Obstruction in Geriatric Patients.- Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding in the Elderly.- Ishcemic Disorders of the Large and Small Bowel.- Inflammatory Bowel Disease.- Diverticulitis and Appendicitis in the Elderly.- Benign Colorectal Disease.- Neoplastic Diseases of the Colon and Rectum.- Abdominal Wall Hernia in the Elderly.- Section 6 - Hepatobiliary System.- Invited Commentary.- Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Function: Physiologic Changes.- Benign Disease of the Gallbladder and Pancreas.- Malignant Diseases of the Gallbladder and Bile Ducts.- Benign and Malignant Neoplasms of the Exocrine Pancreas.- Benign and Malignant Tumors of the Liver.- Section 7- Urogenital System.- Invited Commentaries.- Change in Renal Function, Fluids and Electrolytes.- Urinary Incontinence.- Neoplasms of the Kidney, Ureters and Bladder.- Benign and Malignant Diseases of the Prostate.- Benign Gynecological Disorders in Older Women.- Gynecological Malignancies in the Elderly.- Section 8 - Nervous System.- Invited Commentary.- Effects of Aging on the Nervous System.- Geriatric Neurosurgical Emergencies.- Benign and Malignant Tumors of the Brain.- Spinal Disorders and Nerve Compression Syndromes.- Section 9- Musculoskeletal System and Soft Tissue.- Invited Commentary.- Physiologic Changes of the Bones and Soft Tissue with Age.- Benign and Malignant Lesions of the Skin in Old Age.- Surgical Management of Soft Tissue Sarcoma in the Geriatric Population.- Pressure Sores in the Elderly.- Orthopedic Trauma in the Elderly.- Treatment of Degenerative Joint Diseases.- Section 10- Transplantation.- Invited Commentary.- Elderly Donors in Transplantation.- Elderly Transplant Recipients