Ethics & Professional Standards in Plastic Surgery Flashcards

A patient consents to an abdominoplasty and, during surgery, the surgeon decides to also perform liposuction of the flanks without prior discussion. This represents a violation of:

Answer: Informed consent and patient autonomy

Performing an undisclosed additional procedure violates informed consent because the patient had no opportunity to accept or refuse the flank liposuction.

Which element is NOT required for a legally and ethically valid informed consent in plastic surgery?

Answer: Patient's guarantee of a satisfactory result

Surgeons cannot ethically or legally guarantee outcomes; valid consent requires disclosure and comprehension, not outcome promises.

A patient from another country presents requesting a procedure that is legal in their home country but not FDA-approved in the United States. The ethical standard requires the surgeon to:

Answer: Adhere to U.S. standards of care and FDA regulations regardless of the patient's origin

Surgeons practicing in the United States must follow FDA regulations and U.S. standards of care for all patients regardless of their country of origin.

Regarding social media use, ABPS ethical standards require plastic surgeons to:

Answer: Maintain patient confidentiality and avoid misleading promotional content

Surgeons may use social media but must protect patient confidentiality and ensure all promotional content is truthful and non-deceptive.

A plastic surgeon notices a partner in their practice is impaired by alcohol during office hours. The first appropriate ethical action is to:

Answer: Address the situation directly with the colleague and ensure no patients are harmed

The immediate priority is patient safety by intervening with the colleague directly, followed by escalation through appropriate channels if the problem persists.

A patient who is a minor requests augmentation rhinoplasty. Which scenario would be most ethically appropriate to proceed?

Answer: The minor is 16, emotionally mature, and gives assent with parental consent after nasal growth is complete

Rhinoplasty in minors requires nasal growth completion, parental consent, and patient assent, making an emotionally mature 16-year-old with nasal maturity the most appropriate candidate.

In the context of the physician-patient relationship, sexual contact between a plastic surgeon and a current patient is:

Answer: Always unethical due to the inherent power imbalance

Sexual relationships with current or recent patients are universally condemned by professional ethics due to the inherent power differential in the physician-patient relationship.