ASPS Patient Safety, Ethics & Management 3

Question 1

A patient requests a procedure that the surgeon believes is not in the patient's best medical interest. The most ethically appropriate response is to:

Accepted Answer

Discuss concerns openly, explain the risks, and decline if the procedure is medically contraindicated

Answer

Surgeons must respect autonomy while upholding beneficence; open discussion and refusal if medically contraindicated is ethically appropriate.

Question 2

Which of the following best describes the Caprini Risk Assessment Model in plastic surgery?

Accepted Answer

A validated tool to stratify patient VTE risk and guide prophylaxis decisions

Answer

The Caprini model is a validated preoperative scoring tool that stratifies VTE risk and guides chemoprophylaxis and mechanical prophylaxis decisions.

Question 3

Which medication interaction poses the greatest risk of intraoperative bleeding in a facelift patient?

Accepted Answer

Aspirin continued through the perioperative period

Answer

Aspirin irreversibly inhibits platelet cyclooxygenase, significantly increasing intraoperative and postoperative bleeding risk and should be stopped 7–10 days preoperatively.

Question 4

A surgeon discovers intraoperatively that the anatomy differs significantly from what was discussed with the patient preoperatively. The correct action is to:

Accepted Answer

Stop the procedure, close safely, and obtain updated consent before proceeding at a later date if indicated

Answer

When unexpected significant findings change the nature of the procedure beyond the original consent, the safest ethical course is to close and obtain proper updated consent before proceeding.

Question 5

According to ASPS guidelines, advertising for plastic surgery services must NOT:

Accepted Answer

Guarantee specific outcomes or use misleading before-and-after images

Answer

ASPS prohibits advertising that guarantees results or uses deceptive imagery because surgery outcomes vary and guarantees create unrealistic patient expectations.

(ASPS) American Society of Plastic Surgeons Practice Test

(ASPS) American Society of Plastic Surgeons Practice Test

ASPS Patient Safety, Ethics & Management 3