Informed consent for surgery: a historical review.
BACKGROUND
Many surgeons see the process of obtaining informed consent for an operation from a patient beginning and ending with the signature of the patient on the consent form. Indeed this is not so as this process is deeper than that and all operating specialists need to understand the origin of this process, the developments and the areas where interpretations may be difficult. This is to ensure that implementation of the process of informed consent is mutually beneficient to both patient and doctor.


METHODS
Literature dealing with the origin and history of informed consent, its principles, various interpretations and experiences in various subspecialties was reviewed.


RESULTS
The informed consent process arose from the proceedings of the Nuremberg trial in 1947 to ensure that such atrocities that were committed on human beings in the pursuit of medical research were never repeated. The basic tenet of the informed consent rests on the autonomy of the patient which is explained as being the legal embodiment of the concept that each individual has the right to make decisions affecting his/her well-being. Areas of possible controversy which includes the interpretation of competence and understanding of the patient in the light of adequate information from the doctor were also highlighted.


CONCLUSIONS
It is apparent from the wealth of literature on this subject that there is still a problem regarding the lack of guidelines towards achieving the perfect informed consent.
Irabor
D O
DO
Department of Surgery, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. dirabor@comui.edu.ng
D032882:Comprehension; D013502:General Surgery / Q000941:ethics*; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence