Patients must consider potential serious complications

EDITOR—The juxtaposition of Motson's article and the review of marrow transplantation for breast cancer is intriguing. 1 2 Both articles refer to new technologies, strongly supported by interest groups. In thecase of supra-lethal chemotherapy with marrow transplant rescue the evidence has now been discredited. For the repair of groin hernias the case is not clear cut. Certainly, patients should be informed of the laparoscopic option, with its short term advantages of reduced postoperative pain andtime off work.

Credit: SIU/SPL

There is a downside, however. The review article that Motson quotes includes data on the small risk of potentially serious complications, which were more frequent with the laparoscopic operations in a ratio of 15:4.3 Informed consent must surely includemention of the possibly devastating intra-abdominal injuries, even though the incidence is only ofthe order of 2.5 per 1000 …