which case it may be helpful to have one’s pri-
mary-care doctor assist in sorting through the
options, benefits, and risks.
Informed Consent
Informed consent documents describe in detail the
proposed operation, reason for the operation, rec-
ommended anesthesia options, expected benefits,
and possible complications and risks. Informed
consent is required before the operation may
begin for all surgeries except in certain life-threat-
ening circumstances. The informed consent docu-
ments should contain no surprises or new infor-
mation; if they do, it is important to discuss the
situation with the surgeon before signing them. In
some circumstances the surgeon may request
advance permission to perform a more extensive
operation than planned, depending on the find-
ings during the surgical operation. This permits
the surgeon to do what needs to be done in a sin-
gle operation rather than having the person go
through a second procedure.
See also CANCER TREATMENT OPTIONS AND DECI-
SIONS; QUALITY OF LIFE.surgery benefit and risk assessment 279