Doctors refuse to fix builder's broken ankle unless he quits smoking

[Carlawarla 1]

What I REALLY have a problem with, is someone making moral judgements on people. Okay, so the doctor says he's got to quit smoking...just imagine where this can lead to?

Tomorrow...they won't operate on you because...you drink alcohol, you eat junk food, you're 30 pounds overweight, you're bald, you're over 70...where does it stop?

"selective" surgery, for "selective" people?

This is disgusting...

Carla

Edited September 18, 2007 by cartoboy123

[Fandango 1,440]

What I REALLY have a problem with, is someone making moral judgements on people. Okay, so the doctor says he's got to quit smoking...just imagine where this can lead to?

Tomorrow...they won't operate on you because...you drink alcohol, you eat junk food, you're 30 pounds overweight, you're bald, you're over 70...where does it stop?

"selective" surgery, for "selective" people?

This is disgusting...

Carla

But see, you're falling into the trap that the author has set. It seems to me it's designed to outrage people based on the 'HOW DARE THEY MAKE JUDGEMENTS ON ME?!?' premise. When the bottom line is that the article does not explain precisely WHY the doc made that call....which there could be a VERY good and sound medical reason for.

And yeah, if someone was quite overweight and the surgery would be severely complicated by that fact, I would expect any good surgeon to broach that subject. In fact, you see it on tv all the time on that show about the gastro docs....one guy was morbidly obese and needed the bypass, but the docs were so concerned about the effect the weight would have on his heart during a surg...so they said...sorry, you have to lose weight before we cut you open.

Being bald? Doubt that's ever gonna be a legit reason to deny surg

It's all so sad that it's preying upon people's 'right to be what they want' without anyone DARING to question certain choices...but if you put your life in your doc's hand, (s)he has a moral obligation to do the best for you...and if that includes putting his/her foot down to prevent a serious reprocussion to fix a chronic injury....well surely how can anyone have a problem with that????

[Cassie 8]

What I REALLY have a problem with, is someone making moral judgements on people. Okay, so the doctor says he's got to quit smoking...just imagine where this can lead to?

Tomorrow...they won't operate on you because...you drink alcohol, you eat junk food, you're 30 pounds overweight, you're bald, you're over 70...where does it stop?

"selective" surgery, for "selective" people?

This is disgusting...

Carla

I have to humbly disagree. I rely on doctors and other medical professionals to give me the best advice about health issues. Not completely rely on them, but rely on them nonetheless. I personally had a doctor who refused to operate on my knee until I had lost a certain amount of weight, because it would significantly affect the healing process and long term maintenance of my knee. i did what he told me, because I knew he was right -- I was initially angry, mind you, but after thinking about it, I knew he was right. If a habit I am engaging in prevents me from getting a procedure done that is necessary, I have to decide whether or not my habit was worth it.

[Peikko 1,575]

Have to agree with those that are saying this is not a case of preventing personal freedoms, but a case of medical prudence.

That it is couched in such provocative language as to skew the angle of the story to make you think this is about personal freedom is more to do with the bias of this particular newspaper.

[DeadPoolX 9]

What I REALLY have a problem with, is someone making moral judgements on people. Okay, so the doctor says he's got to quit smoking...just imagine where this can lead to?

Tomorrow...they won't operate on you because...you drink alcohol, you eat junk food, you're 30 pounds overweight, you're bald, you're over 70...where does it stop?

"selective" surgery, for "selective" people?

This is disgusting...

Carla

This isn't a case of "moral judgment," it's a case of "medical knowledge."

It's a fact that smoking causes vasoconstriction which can slow down the healing process. Normally, this isn't a huge problem. Minor cuts, scraps, even burns, all heal well enough on a smoker. Having surgery, however, is a major undertaking and depending on the operation in question, could require a great deal of post-surgical recovery. In many cases, physicians want their patients to quit smoking before an operation because of the terrible things that can happen to them after the operation.

Take, for instance, an abdominoplasty (better known as a "tummy tuck") where the patient is ordered to quit smoking if they are a smoker. This isn't because the physician necessarily dislikes smoking. For all we know, maybe the physician smokes too! But he or she isn't having the operation. The point is that there's a true danger if the patient continues to smoke, since post-op, the tissue traumatized could actually go through necrosis.

So when your physician tells you to "stop smoking" before an operation, chances are they're not saying it because for any particular moral reason. They're doing it because if you continue to smoke and have the surgery, it could adversely affect your health in a very dramatic way.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Also I believe the immune system tends to slow down somewhat in later life – which makes healing from (any) injury or surgery a rather longer term prospect than say – someone in their 20’s or 30’s. Combine that with a smoking habit (this guy being a heavy smoker) and you’re looking a potentially very serious problem.

That said – you’d think not being crippled and in physical pain would be motivation enough to quit smoking anyway…

[Caladan 19]

I think if it were just a 'hey we have you hostage so stop smoking now or we won't operate', that would be bad.

But I'm guessing since it's pretty major surgery it's more that smoking will endanger the success of the operation, just like sometimes people have to lose weight or quit drinking.

[almaty 19]

in america, he could sue the doctor and probably win

[Peikko 1,575]

I'm not so sure, I have seen a 'pseudo' case (one of those stupid daytime Judge someoneoranother things) where something similar came up. A woman tried to sue a Dr for negligence for an unsuccessful nipple reconstruction. His whole argument was that it wasn't successful because she failed to give up smoking as she was instructed to do and he won.

Of course, this was a case where she got the surgery (having claimed she had given up smoking) and not a case of not getting the treatment.

[Kez/JWolf 6]

I had a total knee replacement done here in the US in 2006... I asked the Surgeon if I needed to stop smoking before the surgery and I was told NO.... unless I was going to stop smoking at least 10 months before any surgery was done it would be too late for my lungs and circulation to recover... I would be putting myself at more risk of complications if I stopped smoking say 3 weeks before the surgery than I would if I continued to smoke up to the day of surgery....

So I think they ARE making a moral judgement on this man.....

Kez