The Talk Seniors Need to Have With Doctors Before Surgery

Surgeons need to reach for a higher standard of informed consent when talking with older patients

Surgeons don't take enough responsibility to inform older patients of how surgeries can impact their remaining years. Alexander Raths/Shutterstock

The decision seemed straightforward. Bob McHenry’s heart was failing, and doctors recommended two high-risk surgeries to restore blood flow. Without the procedures, McHenry, 82, would die.

The surgeon at a Boston teaching hospital ticked off the possible complications. Karen McHenry, the patient’s daughter, remembers feeling there was no choice but to say “go ahead.”