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'Satisficing' in surgery: balancing pragmatism against perfectionism?
1Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, University College London, Charles Bell House 43-35 Foley St, London W1T 7TS, United Kingdom.
Maximizing, the pursuit of an ideal solution, often increases complexity and risks in surgery. Satisficing offers a pragmatic alternative, seeking sufficient, satisfactory outcomes instead of a perfect one.
Area of Science:
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- Medical Ethics
- Decision Making
Background:
- The concept of 'maximising' in surgery involves pursuing the 'ideal' or 'gold standard' solution, often leading to increased complexity, risks, costs, and morbidity.
- Conversely, 'satisficing', conceptualized by Herbert Simon, advocates for pragmatic solutions that are 'sufficiently satisfactory' for a given situation, rather than striving for a single perfect outcome.
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