This clinical casebook is comprised of surgical cases involving the most important cardiovascular diseases in a concise, easy-to-read format (5x8 in trim size, like other titles in this burgeoning, informal product line in the Springer clinical medicine program).

Each chapter is a case that opens with a unique clinical presentation, followed by a description of the diagnosis, assessment and management techniques used to treat it, as well as questions and answers (between 8 and 10) about relevant aspects related to the diagnosis and treatment of the addressed disease. The Q&A section will broaden discussion and increase the title's pedagogical value.

The casebook features 40 surgical cases in the following thematic areas: Aortic Disease, Arrhythmias, Cardiac Tumors, Coronary Insufficiency, Congenital Heart Disease, Endovascular Therapies, Heart Failure, Heart Transplantation, Mechanical Circulatory Support, Pericardial Disease, Pulmonary Embolism and Valvular Heart Disease. 

This book will be prepared by the Brazilian Department for Academic Leagues of Cardiovascular Surgery, within the Brazilian Society of Cardiovascular Surgery (BSCVS). This department is the section within BSCVS that consists of the academic leagues of cardiovascular surgery from each university throughout the country. In Brazil, medical academic leagues are organizations that gathers students, interns and residents to discuss a certain topic and promote research and teaching-oriented extra-class activities, supervised by a group of professors. Thus trainees will have involvement in writing the chapters and the senior professor supervisors will edit and finalize the work. Basically, each chapter is written by an intern or resident and, ultimately, his/her supervisor. As the books volume editors, doctors Almeida and Jatene will have final responsibility for the cases and overall manuscript.