Overlapping surgery verbiage in informed consent documents
Annals of Surgery, 2024
Overlapping surgery remains controversial. Recent guidelines from the Senate Finance Committee and the American College of Surgeons call for transparency in informed consent, but it is unclear how many institutions have adopted these recommendations. This study assessed informed consent documents from 104 institutions, finding that only 29% included language about overlapping surgery or surgeon absence. Few forms explicitly detailed who would perform the procedure if the surgeon was absent, and only 7% met all recommended criteria. These findings highlight a significant gap in transparency, indicating a need for improved informed consent practices regarding overlapping surgery.
Recommended citation: Mitchell MB, Lin G, Prasad K, Habib DRS, Langerman A. Overlapping surgery verbiage in informed consent documents. Ann Surg. 2024. doi:10.1097/SLA.0000000000006324