Ethics & Professional Standards in Plastic Surgery Flashcards

A plastic surgeon is asked by an employer to perform procedures on employees as a condition of their employment contract. The surgeon's primary ethical obligation is to:

Answer: Ensure each employee voluntarily consents without employer coercion

Voluntary consent free from employer coercion is essential; surgeons must ensure employees are not pressured into procedures as a job condition.

Which practice best exemplifies the ethical principle of justice in a plastic surgery practice?

Answer: Providing pro bono care or reduced fees to underserved populations

Justice in medicine requires fair distribution of care, including participation in pro bono or reduced-fee services for underserved populations.

A patient requests that their reconstructive breast surgery be documented only with the diagnostic code for cosmetic surgery to reduce insurance scrutiny. The surgeon should:

Answer: Refuse because falsifying medical records or insurance claims is fraud

Falsifying diagnostic codes constitutes insurance fraud and violates medical ethics regardless of patient request or motivation.

When a plastic surgeon transfers care of a patient mid-treatment to another provider, the ethical requirement is to:

Answer: Provide adequate notice and facilitate a smooth transition to ensure continuity of care

Surgeons must give adequate notice and facilitate care transition to avoid patient abandonment and ensure continuity of treatment.

A plastic surgery resident performing a procedure exceeds their supervised scope and causes a complication. The attending surgeon's primary ethical responsibility is to:

Answer: Take over management and ensure the patient is fully informed

The attending must assume direct responsibility for patient care and ensure the patient receives full disclosure about what occurred.

Regarding the use of non-FDA-approved fillers obtained from compounding pharmacies, a plastic surgeon's ethical and legal obligation is to:

Answer: Avoid them unless a specific patient need cannot be met by approved alternatives

Compounded injectables should only be used when FDA-approved alternatives cannot meet a specific patient need, as they carry additional risk and regulatory uncertainty.

A plastic surgeon maintains a teaching file of operative photographs for educational presentations. Which practice is ethically required?

Answer: Use of deidentified images or written patient authorization for identifiable images

Patient authorization is required for identifiable images in any educational setting, or images must be fully deidentified to protect patient privacy.