Introduction: A Primer on Surgical Ethics

Abstract

Abstract Ethics is now recognized as an essential supporting discipline in the practice of surgery. Surgical ethics is the application of ethics to situations specific to surgical practice. We do not pretend that surgical ethics are of such specialized precision that they are completely unlike ethical situations and decisions found in other medical specialties. But surgery’s mainstay is the operative experience, and that kind of work requires a unique frame of mind. Some of the ethical principles you’ll read about in this book, such as avoidance of conflicts of interest, honesty with patients, and research integrity, can be easily extrapolated to any of the medical specialties. Other issues, such as suspension of do not resuscitate (DNR) orders, innovation versus controlled trials, ghost surgery, sham-controlled studies, and high-tech robotics, are largely specific to the surgeon’s work, and their ethical implications must be individually considered. Best ethical practices are now an essential component of best surgical practices. As a result, rigorous ethical practices have become critical to the success of even the most technically skillful surgery.