Patient Consent for Laparoscopy
We strive to help you be as healthy as possible with as little medical intervention as possible. However, when conservative management fails to improve your quality of life we recommend surgery. Although we offer very sound surgical skills there are possible complications which are well recognised in the medical literature that you must be aware of. One should be aware of these possible complications to make the recovery path smoother should a complication occur, and to avoid disappointment.
GENERAL RISKS AND COMPLICATIONS associated with laparoscopic surgery:
Anaesthetic complications: such as headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drossiness, low blood pressure.
Surgical complications: during the operation, immediate post-operative (up to 24 hours) and late post-operative (up to 10 days).
GENERAL RISKS AND COMPLICATIONS OF LAPAROSCOPIC OPERATION:
pain, infection (wound, bladder, lung, pelvis), bleeding requiring blood transfusion, damage to the surrounding organs (bowel, bladder, womb, vessels and ureters needing open surgery (laparotomy), damage to nerve, muscle or bone (due to positioning), forming clots in the legs (DVT) & lungs (embolism), and death. The chance of a minor complication is 1/100, major complication 1/1000, and death 1/100,000.
NO TREATMENT: may compromise quality of life and health outcome depending on the nature of the disease
ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT: Conservative treatment with OCP, Mirena or pain-killers
ADDITIONAL OR DIFFERENT PROCEDURES DURING CARE AND TREATMENT:
From time to time it may be necessary and advisable to perform operations or procedures different from, or in addition to those described. You need to authorize and consent to the performance of such additional or different operations and procedures that are considered necessary and advisable.
OTHER services: Pathology and radiology services as needed and in keeping with standard medical practice
PHOTOGRAPHY: photographing, filming or videotaping of the operation for educational or diagnostic use. Photos/videos for educational purposes would not be identifiable.
GUARANTEE: there are risks involved in any procedure or treatment, and it is not possible to guarantee or give assurance of a successful result. We always endeavour to provide the best care but cannot guarantee the outcome. Any additional questions about the treatment and procedure always will be answered happily.