| Abstract: | The consent process is a cornerstone of the patient–doctor relationship. It can be a complex process presenting challenges to both doctor and patients due to the interaction of multiple different factors, including ethical and legal considerations. Ensuring the patient has informed consent requires a through understanding of the risks of an intervention for a particular patient; therefore risk assessment is of fundamental importance. Accurate risk assessment can be done through assessment of individual patient factors and the proposed procedure combined with population data. Communication of this risk to the patient is key and the surgeon should use clear language to avoid bias or misunderstanding. Use of adjuncts such as visual aids, examples from other areas of life, with avoidance of statistical data and vague terms may help the patient understand the risks more completely. |
