Key result
Discussing the nuances of 'doing everything' and planning a nonoperative path is crucial when evaluating high-risk patients facing life-limiting conditions who decline surgery.
Emphasizes the critical need for comprehensive communication and planning for nonoperative care in high-risk surgical candidates.
Evaluating a high-risk patient for a high-risk operation is complicated. Discussing the benefits and burdens with your patient is only a part of the process. Should the decision be not to operate, explaining and planning the nonoperative path forward with all of its inherent challenges is crucial. Because the inevitable is likely to happen, the patient as well as their family must be prepared. If they are not, then the result may be exactly what the patient was hoping to avoid in the first place by declining the operation. Critical to this conversation is understanding the nuances of "doing everything" when dealing with a patient facing a life-limiting condition.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Nadine B. Semer (2020) conducted an editorial in Life-limiting condition. Discussing the nonoperative path and 'doing everything' was evaluated. Discussing the nuances of 'doing everything' and planning a nonoperative path is crucial when evaluating high-risk patients facing life-limiting conditions who decline surgery.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: