ABPS Ethics & Professional Standards in Plastic Surgery 4

Question 1

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:

Accepted Answer

Ensure each employee voluntarily consents without employer coercion

Answer

Comply because the employer is the client in occupational medicine

Answer

Refuse all employer-directed medical care as inherently unethical

Answer

Perform only OSHA-mandated screenings and not elective procedures

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

Providing pro bono care or reduced fees to underserved populations

Answer

Offering premium services exclusively to patients who can afford them

Answer

Prioritizing complex cases for personal skill development

Answer

Accepting only patients whose conditions are straightforward

Question 3

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:

Accepted Answer

Refuse because falsifying medical records or insurance claims is fraud

Answer

Comply if the patient signs a waiver releasing the surgeon from liability

Answer

Comply if the request does not affect the patient's premium

Answer

Ask the billing department to handle it without involving the surgeon

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

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

Answer

Transfer only after the acute treatment phase is complete

Answer

Require the patient to find a new surgeon independently

Answer

Notify the patient by certified mail and then end the relationship

Question 5

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

Accepted Answer

Take over management and ensure the patient is fully informed

Answer

Allow the resident to manage the complication independently to build competence

Answer

Report the resident to the program director without informing the patient

Answer

Document the event and defer disclosure pending outcome

Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

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

Answer

Use them freely because compounded products are physician-directed

Answer

Use them only in accredited operating room settings

Answer

Require patients to sign additional consent forms and then proceed

Question 7

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

Accepted Answer

Use of deidentified images or written patient authorization for identifiable images

Answer

Institutional approval is sufficient without individual patient consent

Answer

Patient consent is only required if images will be published in journals

Answer

Images may be used freely within the same hospital system