SBA — Single Best Answer · Review
Question 657
Clinical Management → Clinical Practice
Classification
Question
SSBAQuestion Header
Additional pathology found during surgery
Question Stem
A woman has given valid consent for a planned operation. During surgery an additional abnormality is found that is not life-threatening and was not included in the consent. What should be done ?
Options
A
Treat the additional abnormality immediately because she is already anaesthetised
B
Treat it if another surgeon agrees
C
Complete the planned surgery and discuss the additional finding with the patient afterwards
D
Obtain consent from a relative while the patient remains anaesthetised
E
Abandon the entire planned operation
Explanation
consent is required for each procedure even when procedures occur in the same setting. If additional pathology is discovered during surgery, it says to operate on it only if life-threatening; otherwise complete the planned surgery and discuss the finding later.
Option Validity
A) Being anaesthetised does not extend consent to an additional non-life-threatening procedure.
B) Agreement from another surgeon does not provide the patient’s consent for the additional non-life-threatening procedure.
D) A relative cannot supply substitute consent merely because the patient is anaesthetised.
E) to complete the planned surgery; it does not require abandoning the operation already consented to.
Further Reading
Saxena MRCOG-1 Basic Sciences — Principles of Clinical Practice, printed p. 2.