A patient has an absolute right over his or her body.
After having visited a doctor, if a procedure or surgery has been advised, the patient has a right to be informed adequately about this.
Under these circumstances the patient is 'Informed' about the procedure or surgery and a 'Consent' is taken.
As a patient what are you expected to know?
There is a certain format to the information given, and the patient can ask for clarifications at any time.
First of all the patient's permission is sought in the name of the doctor/ the team of doctors led by ______________ - the name of the doctor.
Next is the name of the procedure e.g. 'Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy' which is proposed to be performed.
In the next instance the Doctor performing the surgery or someone from her team has to inform you about the anticipated/ accepted complications of the procedure. "Bleeding" and "Infection" are expected complications of any procedure. In an informed consent much more than this needs to be disclosed. For instance, before certain types of Sinus Surgery, it is expected that the Doctor will list the complications to include Meningitis, leakage of brain fluid from the brain into the nose, blindness, crusting, a need for a revision surgery etc, apart from the usual complications of bleeding and infection. This is as much for the information and education of the patient as also to protect the doctor from future malpractice suits.
Now the Doctor or someone from the team is supposed to inform you of alternative treatment. For instance if you are being operated for a Sinus problem, the Doctor should mention that medical treatment is an option, or that is has been tried and has failed.
Who is the right person to sign the consent?
Any person who is undergoing a procedure and is an adult of sound mind can and should sign his consent. An accompanying relative/ spouse should sign as a witness.
There are certain Special Circumstances -
High Risk Consent / Consent for Death On Table - In instances when the patient is critical either because of his primary condition (e.g. excessive blood loss after trauma) , or because of an underlying condition (untreated serious heart disease, uncontrolled blood sugar etc) a high risk consent is sometimes taken. In some institutions this may be video recorded.
Patient unable to give consent - Under circumstances when the patient is incapacitated - unconscious, incoherent etc, the next of kin can give a consent.
An 'Informed Consent' is an important practice and both the Surgeon as well as the patient need to treat it so.
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