Over the past several decades knowledge regarding the pathobiology of vascular disease has substantially increased. The crux of ischemic vascular disease is well established to be a complex interplay of atherosclerosis and thrombosis. The understanding of venous thrombosis, hypercoagulable syndromes, and atrial fi brillation has also witnessed impressive progress, and these disorders have become important areas of investigation with translation into several aspects of clinical medicine. At the same time, the number of therapeutic agents that have become available has dramatically increased, in parallel with the discovery of new biologic targets and receptors. We have undertaken this textbook edition keeping in mind the marked evolution in our understanding of the pathobiology of thrombosis as well as the tremendous growth in therapeutic options. The expansion in the number of available intravenous and oral antithrombotic agents has been particularly remarkable: direct and specifi c coagulation factor inhibitors as well as new antiplatelet agents have been developed and are quickly fi nding their place in daily practice. This has required a substantial rewriting of chapters. As with our previous thrombosis textbook, such chapters address virtually all aspects of venous and arterial disease and the corresponding therapies. We have made strong efforts to present contemporary data on each of these topics. We are very rateful to all the contributors who have made this book possible. Their commitment to scholarly activity and education allowed us to put forth this comprehensive overview of thrombosis and therapeutic interventions.