Abstract

This chapter reviews ethical issues and legal precedent relevant to informed consent for surgical procedures using a shared decision-making framework. The process of informed consent is examined in a systematic fashion, including reviewing ways to improve doctor-patient communication and important considerations for documentation of the consent process. Disclosure of surgical experience will also be explored, including the complexities of dealing with statistics from surgeon-specific reports. Ethical principles including respect for patient autonomy, beneficence, and distributive justice and duty to tell the truth will be explored as relevant to the doctrine of informed consent.