**3. The book's concept and purpose**

The presented book is addressed to physicians and researchers, working in the ever-expanding research and practice fields of transplantation medicine.

This book's purpose is to present the transplantation community with the collection of works performed and articles written by prominent experts in the variety of transplant-related fields, encompassing most recent scientific and practical developments and accomplishments in the highly specialized segment of transplantation medicine, such as perioperative care for organ transplant candidate and recipient.

While considering the inclusion of broad, well-researched, albeit constantly discussed, topics, such as candidacy/selection criteria, indications for transplant, hemodynamic management, coagulopathy, renal failure, diabetes in transplant recipient and more, as undoubtedly beneficial, it should be stressed though, that the very intent of this book is rather to focus on problems and issues, encountered while providing intra-(anesthesia) and postoperative critical care for patients, undergoing single and combined organ transplant surgery.

Considering and actually making a perioperative care specifically for organ transplant recipient a conceptual base for the selection of scientific, research- and practical-oriented articles is not an easy task. The amount of mutually influencing factors; interactions; and seemingly far-fetched, but, after close examination, very relevant pieces make such a selection work quite arduous, taking into account the sheer volume of already published excellent works in the field of transplantation science. It is our hope, however, that the collection of outstanding articles, containing most updated, pertinent, and highly relevant information, presented in this book, will help explore new horizons of knowledge, inspire new ideas for research projects, and promote practical improvements and developments.
