Ethical Issues in Surgical Decision-making

Surgery should be considered a moral practice and every surgeon, an ethical agent whose sole interest is the benefit and well-being of the patient. Thus a moral compass regarding the surgeon–patient dyadic relationship is recommended, which applies in particular to the surgical decision-making process in its different stages: preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative. The use of an ethical framework is a very useful tool and beneficial to perform the best decision on the patients’ behalf.