Should Sleep-Deprived Surgeons Be Prohibited From Operating Without Patients' Consent?

Comparing Technical Dexterity of Sleep-Deprived Versus Intoxicated Surgeons

BACKGROUND The evidence on the effect of sleep deprivation on the cognitive and motor skills of physicians in training is sparse and conflicting, and the evidence is nonexistent on surgeons in practice. Work-hour limitations based on these data have contributed to challenges in the quality of surgical education under the apprentice model, and as a result there is an increasing focus on competen...

Should Advertising by Aesthetic Surgeons be Permitted?

Should Advertising by Aesthetic Surgeons be Permitted?

Cosmetic, aesthetic and cutaneous surgical procedures require qualified specialists trained in the various procedures and competent to handle complications. However, it also requires huge investments in terms of infrastructure, trained staff and equipment. To be viable advertising is essential to any establishment which provides cosmetic and aesthetic procedures. Business men with deep pockets ...

Volume-outcome disparities and informed consent: what should surgeons disclose?

It has been repeatedly shown that higher procedure volumes, by hospital and by physician, are associated with better outcomes. Buttressed by large-scale selective service purchasing, surgical care for many volume-sensitive operations has been regionalized. However, the implications of outcome disparity data for obtaining valid patient consent remain uncertain. When the first large scale outcome...

Torsades de pointes: Should ECG be taken from all patients before surgery? A case report

Torsades de pointes is a rare but potentially lethal arrhythmia which mainly occurs in the setting of a prolonged QT interval. ECG is a reliable tool to detect such abnormalities, routinely taken from all patients over 40 who undergo surgery. We describe the case of a 35-year-old woman with torsades de points arrhythmia after hysterectomy surgery. Most likely, our patients had long QT syndro...