title: Elective surgery and the HIV-positive patient: medical, legal, and ethical issues.
abstract: The ethical and legal issues surrounding the healthcare provider's obligation to provide care for patients have been a topic of debate since the beginning of modern medicine. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patient requesting cosmetic or elective surgery provides yet another situation in which the physician's ethical and legal responsibilities for the patient become a topic of debate. The risks involved to the physician and patient are first discussed, and then current ethical theory and legal decisions are reviewed. Finally, some conclusions are attempted from the varied opinions in the literature surrounding this controversial topic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tulane University Medical Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Gonsoulin
mesh_terms: D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000628:therapy*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007883:Legislation, Medical; D009014:Morals; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States