When the benefits of surgery do not outweigh the harms, surgical interventions become morally contested. This book examines a number of such surgeries, such as: infant male circumcision and cutting the genitals of female children, the separation of conjoined twins, limb and face transplantation, cosmetic surgery, placebo surgery, and others.

When the benefits of surgery do not outweigh the harms or where they do not clearly do so, surgical interventions become morally contested. Cutting to the Core examines a number of such surgeries, including infant male circumcision and cutting the genitals of female children, the separation of conjoined twins, surgical sex assignment of intersex children and the surgical re-assignment of transsexuals, limb and face transplantation, cosmetic surgery, and placebo surgery.