Understanding consent for surgery and for treatment in orthopaedics

Understanding consent for surgery and for treatment in orthopaedics
Editorial
Vane Antolič, Marius M. Scarlat
International Orthopaedics, 30 September 2022; 46 pp 2459–2460
Open Access
Excerpt
Consenting to treatment implies that a person gives permission before receiving any type of medical care, test or examination. The Consent protects the doctor from the accusation of an “unwanted touch”. Surgery is a complex medical act involving treatments, acts, and manoeuvres that could be harmful, although they are expected to be beneficial and amend positively the patient’s health. Prior to obtaining consent for the proposed succession of acts, the surgeon must provide the patient with information about the nature of the treatment, the expected benefits, material risks and adverse effects, alternate treatments, and the consequences of not having the surgery. Consent for surgery has become a critical component of surgical practice and is of increasing importance and must be updated with patient and legal expectations. For consent to be valid, it must be voluntary and informed, and the person consenting must have the capacity to make the decision. The principle of consent is an important part of medical ethics and international human rights law.