Consent taking in neurosurgery: Education and tips for safe practice

Neurosurgery is the most difficult branch of surgery and interventions may occasionally lead to a poor prognosis. Most of the times, one would assume that the likely outcome of a surgery is going to be good; however, not so uncommonly, the results may be devastating. Poor outcomes are further compounded by litigations, which are rising. The safety for neurosurgeon is the consent signed by the patient that ensures some defense. There are no guidelines given by the society and the controlling authorities on what constitutes a real consent. Some judgments by Supreme Court have given us some lead; however, a large part of the complexities involved in the consent process remain unresolved. We, therefore, have to frame our own guidelines and standards that shall be uniformly adapted by all of us. We can even set a precedent for other disciplines of surgery to follow regarding consent-taking for neurosurgery. This shall also serve as a foundation for the wider benefit and safety of surgeons from other disciplines. This paper is an attempt to simplify the complexities of the consent taking process and aims to provide adequate education and information about the nuances of informed consent.