Near Misses in Cardiac Surgeryhas been written on the premise that teamwork, vigilance, standardized techniques, anticipation of the next step (or misstep), and compassion for our patients are requisites to ensure successful surgical outcomes-that decisions are more important than incisions.This book presents synopses of 40 true cases in which the patients survived, in the expectation that the reader, cast as the surgeon, will determine the cause of the problem and solve it before the patient"s demise. The next section identifies the problem and how it was actually resolved by the surgical team. Each case concludes with a detailed discussion and selected references.Written to challenge the reader that the patient"s fate depends upon his or her ability to make appropriate decisions quickly and under pressure, this book will provide clinical insights, not only for cardiac surgeons, fellows and residents, but for anesthesiologists, cardiologists, internists, medical students, and nurses, as well.