pubmed:abstractText |
Paternalistic decision making for the incompetent patient involves many ethical and legal issues. In the ophthalmic surgery setting, cataract surgery on the patient with dementia is a potentially harmful act that requires justification on the part of the delegated decision maker. Does the potential outcome of improved vision outweigh the patient's right to self-determination? This discussion covers some of the moral, legal, and ethical issues to be considered in analyzing this dilemma.
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