Informed consent in cardiovascular surgery

Informed consent is a core component of partnership between the surgeon and the patient. Cardiovascular surgery is a high risk area in medical and surgical fields. An appropriate informed consent is essential for safety management of cardiovascular surgery and good relationship between the surgeon and the patient and his/her family. Concrete explanation of surgical procedures including the risk and benefit is important to share the common understanding of disease and treatment. Before the surgical procedure, we need to explain at least the following 5 contents, (1) name and extent of the disease, (2) contents of surgical procedure, (3) risk of surgery, (4) other options of treatment, and (5) prognosis of the disease.