Cutting to the Core: Exploring the Ethics of Contested SurgeriesDavid Benatar Rowman & Littlefield, 2006 - 236 pages Surgery inevitably inflicts some harm on the body. At the very least, it damages the tissue that is cut. These harms often are clearly outweighed by the overall benefits to the patient. However, where the benefits do not outweigh the harms or where they do not clearly do so, surgical interventions become morally contested. Cutting to the Core examines a number of such surgeries, including infant male circumcision and cutting the genitals of female children, the separation of conjoined twins, surgical sex assignment of intersex children and the surgical re-assignment of transsexuals, limb and face transplantation, cosmetic surgery, and placebo surgery. When, if ever, do the benefits of these surgeries outweigh their costs? May a surgeon perform dangerous procedures that are not clearly to the patient's benefit, even if the patient consents to them? May a surgeon perform any surgery on a minor patient if there are no clear benefits to that child? These and other related questions are the core themes of this collection of essays. |
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acceptable American Journal argue argument arthroscopic assessment associated autonomy basic interests Benatar benefits Bioethics body child child's best interests claim clinical research clitoris conjoined twins consider contested surgeries cosmetic surgery cultural cumcision decision disability disfigurement donor Dreger early surgery effect ethical issues evidence example face transplantation facial transplantation Female Circumcision female genital cutting feminists foreskin gender genital alteration genitalia gery GRES hand transplant harm human identity individual infant infection intersex intersex children intersex conditions intervention Journal of Bioethics limb transplants lives male circumcision Medicine moral neonatal circumcision newborn normal organ donation organs parents Parkinson's disease participants patients PCST Pediatrics penile cancer performed person placebo surgery plastic surgery practice problem psychological question reasons reassignment recipient reconstructive surgery removal require risks sex assignment sexual sham sham-surgery controls social standard studies subjects suggest surgeons surgical procedures therapeutic therapy tion tissue transsexual treatment trial uncircumcised women