Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg tore his left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during mixed martial arts (MMA) training. According to Zuckerberg, “[I] tore my ACL sparring and just got out of surgery to replace it. Grateful for the doctors and team taking care of me. I was training for a competitive MMA fight early next year, but now that's delayed a bit.” Presumably, no fight with Tesla CEO Elon Musk then, at least for a while.
Whether you're one of the richest people in the world or not, every patient deserves to be well informed about the makeup of the surgical team before proceeding with and consenting to a surgical procedure.
AMA Code of Medical Ethics Opinion 2.3.6, “Surgical Co-Management,” speaks to the practice of assigning different responsibilities to various members of the surgical team. When engaging in this practice, responsibilities should be assigned among “physicians and other clinicians according to each individual’s expertise and qualifications” and should “work with the patient and family to designate one physician to be responsible for ensuring that care is delivered in a coordinated and appropriate manner.” If a surgeon permits a surgical procedure to be performed (in whole or in part) by a resident physician or fellow, Opinion 2.1.6, “Substitution of Surgeon,” stipulates that patients or their surrogate need to be informed and their consent secured.
To further explore the AMA Code of Medical Ethics, please visit AMAethicscode.org.
Published on November 7, 2023