[The image of surgery in public opinion]

Surgery and surgeons have a direct relationship to publicity. In the media, the entertainment aspect prevails over information (infotainment), and scandal also dominates because of negative reports. The cause in many cases is a lack of information, which is always a problem when transmitting scientific information to the public. Economic pressures and diminished resources as well as a simultaneous increase in the demands made on medicine make it mandatory that surgeons communicate properly. They are being degraded more and more to "delivering" medicine, and the relationship between the surgeon and his patient has been reduced to a collision of greediness on both sides. We are in continuous conflict with the power of the media and are being challenged to improve our public relations. The public image of surgery today is determined by surgical performance and competence in communication.