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DrNB Superspecialty · Book Guide

Books for DrNB Surgical Gastroenterology.

The NBE curriculum list, reproduced exactly, plus the editions residents actually read in 2026 — with journals, a year-wise reading plan, and the references you will need for your thesis and exit practical.

14Titles on the NBE list
9Current-edition picks
18Journals listed
3 yearsReading plan included

Doing the MCh instead? The same superspecialty is covered at MCh Surgical Gastroenterology books.

Official list

Books the NBE curriculum lists for DrNB Surgical Gastroenterology

These 14 titles are reproduced as they appear in the National Board of Examinations curriculum document for Surgical Gastroenterology — spelling and abbreviations included. Treat it as the scope anchor, not as a shopping list.

  1. Blumgart L.H. : Surgery of the Liver, Pancreas and Biliary Tract
  2. Bockus H.L. : Gastroenterology
  3. Cotton and Williams : Practical Gastroenterological Endoscopy
  4. Cuschieri and Berci : Laparoscopic Biliary Surgery
  5. DeVita, Lawrence, and Rosenberg's Cancer: Principles and Practices of Oncology
  6. Goligher J.C.: Surgery of the Anus, Rectum and Colon
  7. Keighley M.R.B.:Surgery of the Anus, Rectum and Colon
  8. Maingot's Abdominal Operations
  9. Michael Trede : Surgery of the Pancreas
  10. Nyhus, Baker and Fischer : Mastery of Surgery
  11. Rob and Smith's Operative Surgery
  12. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery- The Biological Basis of Modern Surgical Practice
  13. Sherlock and Dooley: Diseases of the Liver and Biliary System
  14. Zuidema and Shackelford :Shackelford's Surgery of the Alimentary Tract
Read this before you buy. Curriculum documents are revised infrequently, so several entries name editions that are now years out of date and a few titles are out of print. Use the list to understand what you are expected to have covered, then buy the current edition from the next section.

Source: National Board of Examinations curriculum document for Surgical Gastroenterology

What residents actually use

Current editions, and what each one is for

The books most residents actually buy. These are the editions in circulation now, with a note on whether each is something you read through, keep as a reference, or open only for the viva.

  1. Blumgart's Surgery of the Liver, Biliary Tract and PancreasJarnagin, Allen, Chapman et al. · 7th edition · core HPB referenceThe definitive HPB text and the most examined reference in this superspecialty.
  2. Shackelford's Surgery of the Alimentary TractYeo, Dempsey, Klein et al. · 8th edition · core referenceComprehensive coverage of the entire alimentary tract, organ by organ.
  3. Maingot's Abdominal OperationsZinner, Ashley, Hines · 13th edition · operative referenceThe standard operative text for abdominal procedures described in viva.
  4. Sabiston Textbook of SurgeryTownsend, Beauchamp, Evers, Mattox · 21st edition · general surgical baseRetained as the general surgical foundation and for basic-science questions.
  5. Sherlock's Diseases of the Liver and Biliary SystemDooley, Lok, Garcia-Tsao, Pinzani · 13th edition · hepatology referenceNeeded for the medical hepatology that underpins liver surgery and transplant.
  6. Keighley and Williams' Surgery of the Anus, Rectum and ColonKeighley, Williams · 4th edition · colorectal referenceThe reference for colorectal disease and pelvic floor surgery.
  7. Mastery of SurgeryFischer, Jones, Pomposelli et al. · 7th edition · operative atlasStep-by-step operative descriptions valuable for technique viva.
  8. Transplantation of the LiverBusuttil, Klintmalm · 3rd edition · transplant referenceStandard for the liver transplantation component of the syllabus.
  9. Practical Gastrointestinal EndoscopyCotton, Williams et al. · 7th edition · endoscopy manualCovers the diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy expected of GI surgeons.
Journals

Journals that matter in Surgical Gastroenterology

Journal club and the recent-advances parts of the theory paper come from here. You do not need all of them — follow one Indian and two international titles properly.

American Journal of GastroenterologyBritish Journal of SurgeryCurrent Problems in SurgeryDigestive SurgeryDisease of Colon and RectumGastroenterologyGI Surgery AnnualGutHepatologyJournal of EndoscopyLancetLiver Transplantation in SurgeryNew England Journal of MedicineRecent Advances in Surgery: UK and Indian EditionsSurgery TodayTransplantationTropical GastroenterologyWorld Journal of Surgery
Reading plan

What to read, and when

Three years of superspecialty training goes faster than it sounds, and most of it is spent on the floor. The order below is what works for most DrNB Surgical Gastroenterology residents.

Year 1

Build the base

Consolidate general surgery with Sabiston, start Shackelford by organ system and read Sherlock for hepatology; learn cross-sectional imaging early. Register the thesis.

Year 2

Go deep, collect thesis data

Move into Blumgart for HPB depth, Maingot and Mastery of Surgery alongside the operative list, and Keighley for colorectal; begin endoscopy and ERCP training.

Year 3

Revise, drill, submit

Add liver transplantation reading, revise Blumgart and Shackelford selectively, drill imaging and specimen spots, rehearse operative step descriptions, and practise timed short notes.

Thesis

References for your thesis

Protocol, methodology and reporting standards examiners expect you to have followed.

  • ICMR National Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical and Health Research Involving Human Participants
  • CONSORT, STROBE and IDEAL framework for surgical research
  • Clavien-Dindo classification of surgical complications
  • ISGPS/ISGLS definitions for pancreatic and liver surgery outcomes
  • Tropical Gastroenterology and Indian Journal of Gastroenterology for regional data
Practical & viva

What the practical actually tests

Cases, spotters and stations that come up again and again in the exit exam.

  • Long case: obstructive jaundice, chronic pancreatitis, portal hypertension, GI malignancy
  • Short cases: abdominal lump, stoma, hernia, post-operative abdomen
  • Radiology spots: CT abdomen, MRCP, angiography, contrast studies
  • Endoscopy and ERCP image interpretation
  • Surgical pathology specimens and resected gross specimens
  • Instruments including laparoscopic and energy devices, stents and stapling devices
  • Operative step description for pancreaticoduodenectomy, hepatectomy, oesophagectomy and portal decompression
  • Nutrition, perioperative care and complication management scenarios
About the course

DrNB Surgical Gastroenterology in context

DrNB Surgical Gastroenterology theory is three papers of 100 marks and three hours each in the short-notes format, with 150/300 to pass, and a 300-mark practical after theory using clinical cases and/or OSCE with viva. The practical is technique-oriented: expect operative step description, instrument and specimen identification, and heavy cross-sectional imaging and ERCP interpretation.

Frequently asked

DrNB Surgical Gastroenterology books — questions

Which books does the NBE curriculum list for DrNB Surgical Gastroenterology?

The National Board of Examinations curriculum for Surgical Gastroenterology lists 14 titles, beginning with Blumgart L.H. : Surgery of the Liver, Pancreas and Biliary Tract. The full list is reproduced on this page exactly as it is published.

Which single book should I start with in DrNB Surgical Gastroenterology?

Blumgart's Surgery of the Liver, Biliary Tract and Pancreas by Jarnagin, Allen, Chapman et al. is the usual anchor. The definitive HPB text and the most examined reference in this superspecialty.

How is DrNB Surgical Gastroenterology different from the DNB or MD version?

DrNB Surgical Gastroenterology is a superspecialty course taken after a broad-specialty MD, MS or DNB, so the reading is narrower and deeper. The broad-specialty texts are assumed knowledge by the time you start.

Do I need to buy every book listed?

No. Most residents own two or three and use the department or library copy for the rest. That is exactly why printing selected chapters from a PDF works out cheaper than buying volumes you will open twice.

Can you print these books for me?

We print from the PDF you send us. Send the file on WhatsApp with your page count and whether you want colour, black and white or mixed, and we print, bind and deliver anywhere in India. We do not supply copyrighted book files.

How much does printing cost?

Black and white is 50 paise a page, colour is Rs 1 a page, and binding is Rs 40 per bound volume. A 400-page mixed set with binding usually works out around Rs 300 plus delivery.

Printing your DrNB Surgical Gastroenterology reading?

Send the PDF on WhatsApp — colour Rs 1/page, B&W 50p/page, binding Rs 40. Printed, bound and delivered anywhere in India.

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