Informed consent requires full disclosure to the patient of the nature, risks, benefits and alternatives of a proposed procedure. The essential elements of informed consent include ensuring the patient understands the nature of the procedure, its reason and benefits, risks and complications, alternative options and their risks and benefits, and details of any anesthesia. The patient must have an opportunity to ask questions and all questions must be answered to their satisfaction before giving voluntary consent.

1. Informed consent

2. The nature of informed consent
Disclosure is the crux of informed consent. The essential
elements are ensuring that the patient understands:
1. The nature of the proposed procedure
2. The reason for the procedure
3. The benefits of the procedure
4. The risks and complications of the procedure
5. Alternatives to the procedure (including an assessment of
the relative risk : benefit ratios)
6. The nature of the anaesthetic or sedation to be employed.

3. • Consent is defined as the voluntary agreement
by a person with the functional capacity for
decision making to make an informed choice
about allowing an action proposed by another
person (eg, performance of a procedure) to be
performed on himself or herself.

4. Never forget things
• The patient should have an opportunity to ask
the doctor questions concerning anticipated
benefits, material risks, alternative therapies,
and risks of those alternatives
• All questions have to be answered to patient’s
satisfaction

5. Terms
• Side effects - unwanted but mostly temporary effects the
pt may get after having the procedure
– feeling sick after GA
– some pain
– bruising
– minor swelling
• Complications - problems during or after the surgery;
– most people are not affected.