Abstracts Treatment of Incisional (Ventral) Hernias: Open Repair* Maximo Deysine, MD, FACP Between 1980 and 1998 Dr. Deysine operated 240 patients harboring ventral hernias, 50 hernias were primary and 190 were incisionals. Utilized techniques included direct tissue approximation or overlapping (N=35, recurrence rate 42%), ePTFE or polypropylene prostheses sutured to aponeurotic edges (N=147, recurrence rate 4.7%), and preperitoneal polyester or polypropylene prostheses (N=58, recurrence rate 2%). Nine wound infections occurred: three in clean, three in clean contaminated, and three in infected wounds, with an overall infection rate of 3.9%. Thirteen markedly obese patients (Quetelet index 32%) with gigantic multiply recurrent hernias offered a serious challenge requiring repeated procedures for recurrence, wound infection, and mesh fragmentation. The technical transition leading to pre-peritoneal approaches utilizing polyester and polypropylene meshes lowered the overall complication rate and has become our procedure of choice. The management of a healed recurrent ventral hernia, which harbored a previous infection, requires the percutaneous bacteriological testing of the operated area in order to prevent the insertion of a prosthesis into an infected but otherwise asymptomatic wound. Abstracts "Dome Down" Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Glenn L. Sandler, MD Endoscopic Drainage of Pancreatic Pseudocyst Gary C. Vitale, MD Thoracoscopic Splanchnicectomy for Pancreatic Pain Henry L. Laws, MD CT Guided Percutaneous Drainage of Infected Acute Necrotizing Pancreatitis Patrick C. Freeny, MD Management of Metastatic Carcinoma T. S. Ravikumar, MD Management of Liver Trauma Juan C. Asensio, MD Management of Benign Liver Tumors Leslie H. Blumgart, MD, FRCS Role and Techniques of "Dome-Down" Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Glenn L. Sandler, MD Thoracoscopic Splanchnicectomy for Pancreatic Pain Henry L. Laws, MD Current ConceptsæAdequate Pain Management Young K. Choi, MD Prevention and Management of Infection Complicating Acute Pancreatitis Henry L. Laws, MD Indication for and Timing of ERCP in Biliary Pancreatitis John Baillie, MB, ChB, FRCP Timing of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy After Biliary Pancreatitis Gary C. Vitale Magnetic Resonance Angiography Martin R. Prince, MD, PhD Pancreatic Imaging Patrick C. Freeny, MD Endoscopic Ultrasonography Charles Noyer, MD Limited Gastric Resection Jo Buyske, MD Current ConceptsæManagement of Pancreatic Carcinoma Henry A. Pitt, MD Watchful Waiting in the Management of Inguinal Hernia Robert J. Fitzgibbons, MD Treatment of Incisional (Ventral) Hernias: Open Repair Maximo Deysine, MD, FACP Treatment of Incisional (Ventral) Hernias: Laparoscopic Repair Adrian E. Park, MD Indications for Converting to Open Operation John G. Hunter, MD Medicolegal Implications of Common Bile Duct Injury During Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Kenneth A. Kern, MD, FACS Role and Technique of Pylorus Preserving Pacreatectomy Henry A. Pitt, MD