Patient and Caregiver Perspectives on Surgical Informed Consent for Pancreaticoduodenectomy: An Applied Thematic Analysis.

Authors

Mia MacDonald, Spencer Bock, Jen Jen Yeh, Kelsey Landrum

Published in

The Journal of surgical research. Volume 327. Pages 443-449. Oct 01, 2026. Epub Oct 01, 2026.

Abstract

Surgical informed consent (SIC) is essential for patient autonomy, but quality is often limited by time constraints, communication challenges, and patient-related factors. We sought to identify barriers and facilitators to meaningful, oncologic SIC.
Patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy and their caregivers were interviewed, concluding at thematic saturation. Clinical characteristics were abstracted from the electronic medical record. Applied thematic analysis was used to identify barriers and facilitators of SIC.
Participants included three patients and two caregivers; all patients were White, non-Hispanic, with a mean age of 61 ± 12 y. Participants reported high SIC satisfaction and strong recall of risks and expectations. Transparent communication, figurative language, visual aids, and social support facilitated SIC. Emotional distress and reluctance to ask questions were barriers. Limited anticipatory guidance regarding postoperative recovery was noted.
Meaningful SIC is supported by clear communication and social support. Expanding preoperative counseling may improve recovery preparedness.

PMID:
42822333
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 02 Oct 2026.

Read full publication at:
Please sign in to see all details.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this publication? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.