# You're a surgeon. Would you operate on your own child?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-surgeon-would-you-operate-on-your-own-child/741436>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [December 26, 2015, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-surgeon-would-you-operate-on-your-own-child/741436 "2015-12-26T22:58:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2016, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-surgeon-would-you-operate-on-your-own-child/741436/41 "2016-01-02T21:01:10Z")

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> [@kayaker](#):
>
> This.
> 
> Assuming, of course, the child has appropriate insurance coverage or else sufficient financial means to cover my hefty fee.

Not funny, dude.

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**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2016, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-surgeon-would-you-operate-on-your-own-child/741436/42 "2016-01-02T21:23:18Z")

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> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#):
>
> Not funny, dude.

I laughed.

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**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2016, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-surgeon-would-you-operate-on-your-own-child/741436/43 "2016-01-02T21:38:19Z")

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> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#):
>
> I’m a doc, I’ve first-assisted in major surgeries and done plenty of minor surgeries in the last 3 decades and change.
> 
> No way in hell I’d do significant procedures on family members unless it was an emergency. Not even if I was the ‘best’ (a ludicrous and highly suspect title in the first place, for almost anyone.) Emotions affect judgement and judgement is incredibly important during critical technical interventions.

I’m not a doc, but I can see that and I completely agree. I’d go even further and say that for some people, depending on temperament, it may even affect coordination and fine motor skills. Put a two-by-four up on a couple of bricks, and I bet most people would have no difficulty walking across it. Now put it up between a couple of girders fifty stories off the ground. Not only would most people have extreme trepidations about walking across it, I suspect many of them would fall off.

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