General Surgery Board Review Communication & Stakeholder Relations 3

Question 1

A patient scheduled for elective hernia repair asks the surgeon to guarantee the procedure will be successful. The most appropriate response is to:

Accepted Answer

Explain that outcomes cannot be guaranteed but share realistic success rates

Answer

Surgeons must never guarantee outcomes; sharing evidence-based success rates and risks constitutes honest, appropriate expectation-setting.

Question 2

During a multidisciplinary tumor board meeting, a radiologist and surgeon disagree about the resectability of a pancreatic mass. The optimal approach to resolve this conflict is to:

Accepted Answer

Review the imaging together and seek additional specialist input if needed

Answer

Collaborative review of evidence and seeking additional expert input ensures patient-centered decision-making and resolves clinical disagreements constructively.

Question 3

A surgeon must disclose a retained surgical sponge discovered on postoperative imaging. Which communication strategy is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Meet with the patient and family promptly, disclose the event honestly, and outline next steps

Answer

Prompt, honest disclosure of serious adverse events is ethically mandatory and is required by most accreditation standards, including The Joint Commission.

Question 4

A patient in the surgical ICU lacks decision-making capacity. No advance directive exists, and both a spouse and an adult child disagree about continuing aggressive care. The most appropriate step is to:

Accepted Answer

Convene a family meeting facilitated by the palliative care or ethics team

Answer

Ethics consultation and facilitated family meetings help resolve surrogate disagreements while centering the patient's best interests.

Question 5

A nurse reports to the surgical resident that a patient is expressing suicidal ideation postoperatively. The resident's first action should be to:

Accepted Answer

Perform an immediate bedside assessment and activate the psychiatric consult pathway

Answer

Suicidal ideation requires immediate assessment and psychiatric involvement; delay risks patient harm and constitutes a failure of duty of care.

General Surgery Board Review Practice Test

General Surgery Board Review Practice Test

General Surgery Board Review Communication & Stakeholder Relations 3