Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Sham surgery: an ethical analysis.

Franklin G Miller1

  • 1Department of Clinical Bioethics, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1156, USA. fmiller@nih.gov

Science and Engineering Ethics
|February 28, 2004
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Xenotransplantation: Injustice, Harm, and Alternatives for Addressing the Organ Crisis.

The Hastings Center report·2025
Same author

Individual difference factors that predict evaluations and acceptance of authorized concealment for the reduction of nocebo side effects.

Patient education and counseling·2025
Same author

Clinical trials are not the solution to inequities in cancer care.

Gynecologic oncology·2025
Same author

Are Patients With Cancer Best Managed in a Clinical Trial?

JAMA·2024
Same author

The Use of Authorized Concealment to Minimize Nocebo Side Effects: A Survey of US Public Attitudes.

Psychotherapy and psychosomatics·2023
Same author

Ethical Outreach for Rural Cancer Care in the United States: Balancing Access With Optimal Clinical Outcomes.

JCO oncology practice·2023
Same journal

Not Another Grocery List: Proposals for an Effective AI Ethics Implementation.

Science and engineering ethics·2026
Same journal

From Biopiracy to Sustainable Knowledge Governance: Epistemic Justice and the Reconstruction of Resource Sovereignty in the Global South.

Science and engineering ethics·2026
Same journal

Deliberative Lab Communication and the Practice of Ethical Science.

Science and engineering ethics·2026
Same journal

Graduate Students Find Content of Responsible Conduct of Research Coursework Useful.

Science and engineering ethics·2026
Same journal

Discursive Ethics as a Normative Foundation for Integrating Ethics into AI Clinical Decision Support Systems.

Science and engineering ethics·2026
Same journal

Tragedies of Technology: An Exploration of Such Narratives.

Science and engineering ethics·2026
See all related articles

Sham surgery controls in surgical trials are ethically permissible. This analysis argues against absolute prohibitions, focusing on methodology, risk-benefit, and informed consent in sham-controlled studies.

Area of Science:

  • Medical ethics
  • Clinical trial methodology
  • Surgical research

Background:

  • Sham surgery is rarely used in clinical trials due to ethical concerns.
  • Recent ethical commentary suggests sham surgery is inherently unethical.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To challenge the absolute ethical prohibition of sham surgery in clinical trials.
  • To provide an ethical framework for the use of sham surgery.

Main Methods:

  • Ethical analysis of sham surgery in clinical trials.
  • Review of three case studies, including a sham-controlled trial for knee arthritis.
  • Focus on methodological rationale, risk-benefit assessment, and informed consent.

Main Results:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Arguments against sham surgery are mistaken.
  • No sound ethical reasons exist for an absolute ban on sham surgery.
  • Sham surgery can be ethically justified under specific conditions.

    • Conclusions:

    • Sham surgery can be ethically acceptable in certain clinical trials.
    • Methodological value, risk-benefit analysis, and informed consent are key ethical considerations.
    • Further ethical debate is needed, moving beyond absolute prohibitions.