The article says that “Clay Robinson, Patterson’s attorney, has previously said the urologist had permission to perform any medical procedure deemed necessary.” So the plaintiff probably did sign a consent form, he just didn’t realize what it might mean.
When I had a (benign) ovarian cyst removed, I had a discussion with the doctor about whether I would allow them to remove my ovary if necessary. I was given the option not to consent, in which case if they found cancer, or were unable to remove the cyst, they would have just closed me up and told me I needed a second surgery once I woke up. I decided to go ahead and sign the consent (I thought it made sense to just have the one surgery, and I was comfortable with losing my ovary if necessary), but fortunately they were able to remove just the cyst.
Good point. AFAIK a circumcision – even one to deal with conditions such as phimosis or balanitis – is almost universally ambulatory surgery requiring just a local block (Heck, it was done regularly since three thousand years BEFORE anesthetics!) And a penectomy is a way far more complicated procedure than a circumcision so that means they were prepared for more than merely recuffing the sleeve, so to speak.
Some hospitals require it for every procedure. Our local one does. They don’t keep them on file, either, so I’ve had to fill out four. That includes directives for an angiogram and a colonoscopy, both of which were done in their out-patient clinic and neither of which required general anesthesia or any cutting.
Yeah. It’s like when they made me take a pregnancy test prior to emergency surgery for a potentially life threatening surgery with a real possibility of ending up with nerve damage in my face even with the most competent doctor available. I asked “what would you have done if I was pregnant?”. The dweeby little med student/intern/whatever the hell he was started up with “Well, of course we’d wait until after you had the baby to -”
Like fuck you would, asshole - it’s MY decision here, and I’m NOT waiting eight or nine months to get this taken care of, even if that means sterilizing an icepick at home and going at it on my own. Or yes, risking a miscarriage or having an abortion. Some of this medical stuff is VERY coercive - here, pee in this cup and depending on the results we’ll either operate or just leave you in pain and maybe DIE because you have a fetus inside you. The dweeb seemed VERY surprised I’d “sacrifice” the 'baby" to take care of a medical emergency.
That’s the problem with the consent forms - they’re very broad, and you’re essentially turning medical decisions over to someone who may or may not have a similar outlook and, in any case, doesn’t have to live with the consequences of their actions.
I’m sure there’s much more here than the story presented tells us. Likely, we’ll never know the details.
It seems obvious that if the patient is present for what is expected to be a circumcision and it turns out there’s rampant cancer you still shouldn’t just lightly lop off his penis. It does seem odd to us laypeople that they didn’t wake the guy up and say “We have bad news…” Maybe there’s some bizarre cancer thing that is immediately life-threatening (Doper Docs? Is there?) but if there is I’m not aware of it. There’s also the problem that, presumably, the man is in serious pain and you’re asking him to sign a paper before you get him relief and fix his dick. Oh, nothing coercive or dicey about that, no, not at all …
Not that I have a better answer at hand, I’ll admit. Medicine regularly gets into difficult ethical situations.
Huh. Ignorance fought.
I know we have Health Care Proxies here, which is a form of advance directive, but it limits the decisions a person can make to times when the patient is unable to make them on their own. I just thought Power of Attorney was a little extreme here.
I would be shocked (shocked I tell you) if those documents aren’t still on file at the hospital, at least in electronic form. What good is a CYA document if it’s not still there when your A needs C’d?
I won’t quibble with the overly tired bit, but underpaid? My CNA friend makes $100 an hour, at an ordinary local hospital of competence but no distinction. That seems okay to me.
Jeez, what hospital is that? CNAs made just over $12 an hour at the hospital where I worked. $100 an hour is a lot more than RNs earn unless they’re on overtime. I think your friend is bullshitting you.
Where I’m at it means “Certified Nursing Assistant”. It’s about a six week course to get certified. They do most of the work that doesn’t require detailed medical knowledge – patient baths, changing bedding and bed pans, etc.
