title: Reductio ad absurdum: informed consent.
abstract: Informing of possible or almost impossible risks of operations may reach absurdity as a form of defensive medicine which is not in the patient's interest and can destroy faith in the surgeon. Its prevention is more a matter for lawyers than for doctors without diminishing the ethic of informed consent. True and hypothetical examples are considered.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garfield
mesh_terms: D003675:Defensive Medicine; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: Litigation; consent; defence; informing; risks; surgery