Dr. MC Gupta clarifies on whether a healthcare professional with an MS in General Surgery can perform C-section and hysterectomy and administer anaesthesia to patients, and if so, under what specific circumstances can this be allowed.

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QUESTION—If an MS (Surgery) can perform colonoscopy, TURP, neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery etc., why can’t he perform cesarean and hysterectomy, and even give anaesthesia because, after all, he is an MBBS in the first place?

ANSWER--

1—It is wrong to say that an MS (General Surgery) can perform colonoscopy, TURP, neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery etc. The fact is that these examples ideally belong to the fields of gastroenterology, urology, neurosurgery and cardiothoracic surgery respectively. Such procedures/surgeries should best be left to the superspecialists concerned. There may be situations when such a superspecialist may not be available in small towns/remote areas and an MS (surgery) may be available there who is reasonably well trained in some procedures mentioned above. In that case, in the interest of not denying services when these could prove life-saving, he may undertake such procedures. However, he should make sure about documenting the following clearly:

i)—That he has informed the patient/attendants that he is not a super-specialist in the field concerned.

ii)—That, still, the patient/relatives want that he operate.

2—As regards cesarean and hysterectomy and anaesthesia, an MS (Surgery) should preferably leave these to the specialists concerned, except in emergency situations, with proper informed consent as described above.

This article was originally published on June 18, 2020.

Disclaimer- The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of M3 India.

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The writer, Dr. MC Gupta is a practising lawyer specialising in medical negligence cases. He also has an MD Medicine from AIIMS, Delhi where he also worked as a faculty member for 18 years, later working another 10 years as a Professor and Dean at National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi, before pursuing law.