The simple informed consent and a strong doctor-patient relationship may be the surgeon’s best tools for avoidance of malpractice claims, yet this powerful duo continues to receive little attention by our educators. This institutional oversight results in hugely inflated insurance premiums and needless heartache for surgeons and patients/families alike. What constitutes the standard of care for a proper elective surgical informed consent, plus a few pearls on the doctor-patient relationship shall be presented.
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