Skip to main content

Surgical Ethics: Theory and Practice Background

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Surgical Ethics

Abstract

Surgical ethics has to do with the determination of what ought to be done, all things considered. This chapter prompts reflection on eight analytical questions:

  1. 1.

    What does it mean for a practicing surgeon to be “ethical”?

  2. 2.

    Where is “ethics” in the complexities of patient care?

  3. 3.

    Why do well-intentioned individuals come to conflicting judgments about what should be done?

  4. 4.

    What are patients and their families invited to trust?

  5. 5.

    When/why does trust break down in patient care?

  6. 6.

    When/how should patients and their families be involved in decision-making?

  7. 7.

    Why is it so hard to keep sense in care at life’s end?

  8. 8.

    Is concern for justice (ir)relevant at the bedside?

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 99.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Brown D. A toolkit for practical medical ethics. Virtual Mentor. 2009;11:909–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Buber M. Ich und Du (translation: Kaufman W). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons; 1923.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Wall L, Brown D. Pharmaceutical sales representatives and the patient-physician relationship. Ob Gyn. 2002;100:594–9.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Wall L, Brown D. Commercial pressures and professional ethics: troubling revisions to the recent ACOG practice bulletins on surgery for pelvic organ prolapsed. Inter Urogyn J. 2009;20:765–7.. plus letters to the editor

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Beauchamp T, Childress J. Principles of biomedical ethics. 7th ed. New York: Oxford University Press; 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Schwarze ML, Bradley CT, Brasel KJ. Surgical “buy-in”: the contractual relationship between surgeons and patients that influences decisions regarding life-supporting therapy. Crit Care Med. 2010;38(3):843–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Faden R, Beauchamp T. A history and theory of informed consent. New York: Oxford University Press; 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  8. AMA. Code of medical ethics. Opinion. 2014;2:035.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Spencer EM, Mills AE, et al. Organization ethics in health care. New York: Oxford University Press; 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Rawls J. A theory of justice. 2nd ed. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press; 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Wall A, Angelos P, Brown D, et al. Ethics in surgery. Curr Probl Surg. 2013;50(March):89–136.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Douglas Brown .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Brown, D. (2019). Surgical Ethics: Theory and Practice Background. In: Ferreres, A. (eds) Surgical Ethics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05964-4_3

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05964-4_3

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-05963-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-05964-4

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics