Balancing the Surgeon’s Responsibility to Individuals and Society

Abstract

While there are real dangers involved with surgical innovation, calling for vigilance in safeguarding patient well-being and autonomy, it is important not to overplay the dangers of innovation or underplay its benefits. One only needs to consider the history of surgical innovation to understand this point (Science 200:937–941, 1978). That history suggests that physicians should—to the degree possible—consider, suggest, and provide insightful, studied, and cogent innovative treatments that are peer-acknowledged—accepted, or—reviewed, while taking care to balance their obligation to respect patient autonomy and benefit their patients. To achieve this balance, it is essential for innovative practitioners to be thoroughly embedded in, and engaged with, their peers in the medical community. Certainly it would be awkward, if not almost impossible, for a reasonably prudent, competent physician to offer an unproven treatment as a lone wolf, acting in a manner radically afield from similarly situated practitioners, without some collegial involvement and support.