The ethics consultation and the pediatric surgeon

The cultural, ethnic, religious, socioeconomic, and educational diversity of the patient population and the expanded surgical options provided by innovation and technology can pose significant ethical challenges. The questions confronting pediatric surgeons and their patients' families have greater complexity, and both the pediatric surgeon and the family perceive increasing vulnerability and uncertainty. The analysis and management of ethical issues in pediatric surgery cannot simply be extrapolated from the approach applied to adult cases. By reviewing the history of the events that contributed to the creation and utilization of hospital ethics committees and examining the role of the ethics consultant in the context of pediatric surgical care, practitioners and trainees will be better able to address these multifaceted situations.