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Informed Consent for Anterior Lumbar Access Surgery

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Lumbar Spine Access Surgery

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Abstract

Informed consent is a keystone of the surgeon-patient relationship rooted in the ethical principles of autonomy and beneficence. Many stakeholders (e.g., healthcare institutions, legislators, the courts, state and federal regulators, and professional societies) contribute to an informed consent process in constant evolution. Informed consent also remains important for patients undergoing spine access and spine surgery. Many of the material risks have been identified. Patients need to be told if their surgery will overlap with that of another. Medical malpractice lawsuits often allege lack of consent against neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons who perform spine surgery. Novel approaches are ongoing in the effort to improve the process of informed consent. Elements of social justice should be considered in spine access and spinal operations to ensure all patients can give fully informed consent. This chapter will touch upon all these elements of the informed consent process.

This chapter is written for educational purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice. Should specific legal questions arise, consult your Office of General Counsel or other attorney licensed in your jurisdiction.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Steven E. Raper

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  1. Steven E. Raper
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Correspondence to Steven E. Raper .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Aligned Orthopaedics, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Joseph R. O'Brien

  2. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA

    Jeffrey B. Weinreb

  3. Vascular Surgery, Inova Health System, Falls Church, VA, USA

    Joseph C. Babrowicz

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Raper, S.E. (2023). Informed Consent for Anterior Lumbar Access Surgery. In: O'Brien, J.R., Weinreb, J.B., Babrowicz, J.C. (eds) Lumbar Spine Access Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-48034-8_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-48034-8_6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-48033-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-48034-8

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