[Preoperative oral information prior to planned thyroid surgery: the surgeon, physician, lawyer and judge's point of view].
OBJECTIVE
Analysis of the consequence of the preoperative information delivered orally to patients requiring surgery for benign pathology of the thyroid gland from various perspective (head and neck surgeon, physician, judge, lawyer).


METHODS
Prospective study conducted in an academic tertiary care referral center. Inception cohort of 123 patients with benign pathology of the thyroid gland consecutively informed orally and by the same surgeon during the years 2003-2004. Analysis of the consequences of the preoperative information, degree of memorization regarding the surgical related risks as well as the patient's opinion regarding this information.


RESULTS
Due to the information regarding the risks related to surgery 14.6% of patients refused to undergo surgery. None of the patients remembered more than 4 out of the 6 main surgical risks. 68.8% of patients remembered only one or two surgical related risks. 12.2% of patients did not remember a single surgical related risk, 85.5% of patients remembered the risk of a unilateral laryngeal nerve paralysis, 41.1% the risk of death related to the completion of a general anesthesia and 21.1% the risk of a bilateral laryngeal nerve paralysis. Less than 11% of patients remembered the other risks (general risks related to any open field surgical approach, hypocalcemia and loss of breast feeding) Among the patients who had an opinion postoperatively, 87.6% had a positive opinion and 41.9% a negative opinion regarding the preoperative information related to the surgical related risks. Also, 28.4% of patients expressed simultaneously a positive and a negative opinion.


CONCLUSIONS
Oral information of the patient regarding the surgical risks resulted in an important stress for the patient and modified the relation patient-surgeon. Due to the information, a non-neglectable group of patients elicited not to follow the advice of the surgeon. Various measures are discussed since the information on the surgical related risks is a must from a legal point of view but is also highly appreciated and requested by most of the patients.
Laccourreye
O
O
Hôpital européen Georges-Pompidou, assistance publique des hôpitaux de Paris, université Paris-V, , 20-40 rue, leblanc, 75015 Paris, France. ollivier.laccourreye@hop.egp.ap-hop-paris.fr
Cauchois
R
R
Touraine
Ph
P
Garay
A
A
Bourla
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003142:Communication; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D016365:Liability, Legal; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012307:Risk Factors; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000208:ethnology / Q000601:surgery*; D014342:Truth Disclosure