In medical practice, the obstructive jaundice is a commonly encountered syndrome, often seen in many clinical entities. The quite impressive number of the underlying conditions possibly producing this syndrome dissuade a separate approach to this subject either in a detailed monograph or as a distinct chapter in the textbooks of surgery.

For this reason, and also having in mind an easily accessible work for most of the medical professionals, the authors of the present monograph have covered only a selected group of disorders that play a role in the etiology of the obstructive jaundice. The authors made a worthy selection and decided on the calculous obstructive jaundice, a condition developed on an underlying calculous disease of the biliary system.

It is assumed that when selecting this very special field, the authors were motivated by the impressive challenges that surgeons have to overcome both in diagnosing and in managing their patients. Although the classic surgical means offer a large number of alternatives, the newly evolved laparoscopic and endoscopic techniques are very promising.