Ethical practice is paramount for all SNIS doctors. We understand that the diagnosis of a brain aneurysm or other potentially dangerous vascular lesion is unwelcome and often shocking news. We also appreciate that one consultation with our doctors is often insufficient to absorb all the relevant information required to make an informed decision about management.
For this reason, it is our practice to give every patient ample opportunity to gather all the information they require to assist them in decision-making. We encourage patients to discuss their options and feelings about the treatment and our doctors with their friends and families before committing to any particular course of action, whether that be endovascular therapy, open surgery or surveillance.
To facilitate this, we discourage patients from making hasty decisions about their treatment during initial consultations, and ask them to take the information we have provided away with them to discuss and consider. We welcome patients to return for as many consultations as they require to help them arrive at a decision with which they are comfortable.
We also encourage our patients to think carefully about us as individuals after their consultation, and in particular whether they are prepared to place their trust in us to perform the procedure being discussed. We are more than happy to provide referrals to colleagues for second opinions if patients find themselves in any doubt at all.
