Summary

Constipation may simply be a symptom that signi?es an obsessive desire to defecate with regular frequency. The authors of this text,however,have demonstrated admirably that this nebulous condition often has a multifaceted etiology. I enjoyed reading this exc- lent text,which covers the gamut of topics related to the etiology,assessment,investi- tion,and management of constipation. The editors have recruited an international team of exemplary ability and have amassed a very comprehensive and consistent text. The chapters merge imperceptibly with minimal repetition. Novel treatments and the more accepted approaches have been presented in considerable detail. This book should be considered the standard for health care professionals managing functional bowel and allied disorders. It provides a benchmark on how to approach and treat the constipated patient. The majority of the authors have been my esteemed colleagues for a number of years; thus it is with particular pleasure that I am able to share their opinions so ably expressed in their respective chapters. This book demonstrates that coloproctology remains a dynamic specialty that provides a holistic approach to constipation. Man- ing constipation without understanding the psyche and emotions, together with the background of emotional and physical traumas of life, would be analogous to walking blindfolded. It has been my pleasure and privilege to have been associated with the editors for some nineteen years and to watch their reputations grow in the international arena. It has been an honor to write the foreword for this book which deserves great success.