Conclusion

The two general duties of surgical care are to protect life and health and to respect autonomy, both to an acceptable professional standard. The specific duties of surgeons were shown to follow from these: acceptable practice concerning informed consent, confidentiality, decisions not to provide or to omit life-sustaining care, surgical research and the maintenance of good professional standards. The final duty of surgical care is to exercise all of these general and specific responsibilities with fairness and justice, and without arbitrary prejudice. The conduct of ethical surgery illustrates good citizenship: protecting the vulnerable and respecting human dignity and equality. To the extent that the practice of individual surgeons is a reflection of such sustained conduct, they deserve the civil respect which they often receive. To the extent that it is not, they should not practise the honourable profession of surgery.