Most cardiac surgery is carried out under conditions of hypothermia in order to slow the heartbeat. However, this does have risks, particularly ischaemia of cardiac muscles. In high-risk patients and for high-risk procedures, there is now a trend towards 'warm' (i.e.normal body temperature) surgery. This book provides a highly topical review of this controversial area, with contributors having been carefully selected to present a balanced view of the advantages and disadvantages of the technique. The editor and his team are internationally recognised for their considerable experience with the technique.