On medical ethics and deontology in surgery

The paper deals with the selected issues of ethics and deontology in medicine, in surgery at all stages of the surgeon’s activities in particular. A brief historical outline of the development of the concepts under discussion is given using the examples of famous research scientists. Various interaction models are considered; the concepts of medical secrecy and a medical error are disclosed; the term of iatrogenism is explored; the need for scientific activity of surgical departments is proven. The dominant aspects of the behavior of physicians in giving information to their patients when the latter are detected to have life-threatening diseases are identified. The model of interaction between the surgeon and the patient is elucidated in detail and a way out of extremely difficult situations is proposed. Important aspects of preoperative preparation and direct application of anesthesia during surgery are considered. The concepts of «anesthesiologist» and «resuscitator» are logically separated and the importance of the functions of each of these two different specialists is shown. The complex ethical and moral aspects of treating the patients posing a danger to the surgeon himself/herself, in particular HIV-infected patients, are considered; the inevitability of providing assistance to such patients is defined. Emphasis is laid on the importance of the problem of medical ethics since this concept has been introduced, by taking into account the rapid development of medicine, that of surgery in particular.

ethics, deontology, surgeon, surgery, quality