Ethical problems in surgery: innovation leading to unforeseen complications.
A hypothetical case that involves a surgical innovation is used to illustrate three ethical issues in surgery: the profound trust that vulnerable patients feel toward their surgeons, even when they innovate; the disequilibrating effect of new procedures on traditional safeguards of surgical competence; and the need for a systematic approach to the evaluation of new surgical procedures.
McKneally
M F
MF
Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, The Toronto Hospital, Joint Centre for Bioethics, 77 Forest Grove Drive, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M2K 1Z4.
D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D004724:Endoscopy; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006801:Humans; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D018570:Risk Assessment