A woman enters an emergency room with stomach pain. She undergoes scans and is diagnosed with a weakening wall of one of the chambers of her heart. The doctor informs the patient that the only way to fix the problem is with surgery and her chances of survival are 50/50. The doctor also tells the patient that time is of the essence and that she could die in a few short minutes. The woman is a skin model and worries that the surgery will leave a scar that will affect her work and refuses the surgery. The doctor feels that the woman is not in a correct state of mind to make this decision. What are the ethical issues in this scenario? What are two ways the doctor could move forward in treating the patient and the possible outcomes of each approach? Give two options even if you don’t personally agree with an option. Explain which option you would support and why.
