Going Ahead with Laser Eye Surgery: What is Informed Consent?
Laser Eye Surgery has grown in popularity to become the most commonly performed elective procedure. But its surprisingly short recovery times and impressive safety profile can make it easy to forget that Laser Eye Surgery is a highly complex procedure that, like any other surgery, comes with a risk of complications.
As such, patients undergoing Laser Eye Surgery must be aware of a number of terms and conditions relating to the treatment. Agreeing to these conditions is an important part of the Laser Eye Surgery process. This is known as giving your informed consent.
What is Informed Consent?
Informed consent is one of the founding principles of medicine and research. It is required from a patient undergoing any kind of medical treatment. To acquire valid informed consent from a patient, the patient must be given all the relevant information regarding their treatment, including the possible risks and benefits.
It is essential to have an informed consent process and for a patient to have the opportunity to ask any questions they have regarding their treatment. This typically involves your surgeon or another qualified medical professional outlining the risks and benefits and making you aware of all possible outcomes, as well as their chances of occurring.
Providing Informed Consent
The informed consent process should be started on a separate day from the surgery to give the patient time to reflect on this information. This means that, by the day of your surgery, you should already be aware of all the information you need to know and have been given sufficient time to digest this information.
Once you are happy to accept the terms and proceed with the surgery, you will be asked to sign the informed consent form. It’s important to remember that if you feel your surgeon hasn’t explained everything to you clearly, you’re not obliged to go through with the treatment or sign the informed consent form.
Choose a Clinic with a Strong Track Record
This is unlikely to be an issue at high-quality, independent clinics; however, not all providers are as thorough in their approach to informing patients.
In the past, some Laser Eye Surgery clinics have made headlines as investigations have uncovered questionable practices. For example, as Which? found in their 2014 report, that some high street providers are not always so diligent in satisfying the requirements of informed consent:
“Some staff seem so keen to make a sale that they are missing the basics: what the customer needs to know to give informed consent. Or, at the very least, reminding the patient to read the written information.”
Such findings should act as a reminder that Laser Eye Surgery should not be taken lightly as a surgical procedure. While the risks may be relatively small compared with some other procedures, if not managed correctly, complications can be significant. The informed consent process should reflect these very real risks and surgeons should always make every effort to provide all the necessary information to their patients.
If you’re interested in Laser Eye Surgery, one of the most important decisions you can make is choosing the right clinic and surgeon. Consultations should be non-obligatory and should always provide you with everything you need to make an informed decision. Laser Eye Surgery can be a life-changing procedure – so, it’s important to be aware of every possible outcome.
To learn more about the risks and benefits of Laser Eye Surgery, get in touch with one of our friendly clinic coordinators today. Alternatively, Book a No-Obligation Consultation today to kickstart the process!
