Innovation in Surgery: Qualitative Analysis of the Decision-Making Process and Ethical Concerns

Area of Science:

• Surgical Innovation
• Transplant Surgery
• Medical Ethics

Background:

• Surgical innovation requires deeper understanding to refine existing frameworks like the IDEAL recommendations.
• The surgeon's perspective on innovation has not been adequately scrutinized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To scrutinize surgical innovation from the surgeon's viewpoint.
• To understand and improve the process of surgical innovation.
• To refine the IDEAL recommendations for surgical innovation.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis using purposive expert sampling in organ transplant surgery.
• Semi-structured interviews exploring the definition, decision-making, and ethical dilemmas of surgical innovation.
• Application of the Forces Interaction Model to analyze the decision-making process.

Main Results:

• Surgeons possess an intuitive understanding of surgical innovation.
• Decision-making in contemporary surgical innovation is primarily collegial, with reduced patient involvement.
• An ideal innovative surgeon profile includes resilience, legitimacy, and no technical restrictions.
• Ethical dilemmas were noted, though most participants found them irrelevant.

Conclusions:

• Surgical innovation is a collaborative, team-based endeavor.
• Specialized centers with integrated Ethics and Law departments are recommended for innovation.
• The findings offer significant improvements for the IDEAL recommendations in surgical innovation.