Cutaneous laser surgery: Basic caution isn’t enough to prevent lawsuits

If you do choose to treat a patient, he advised, be open about the procedure and “maybe even tell them some of the tougher, worse-case scenarios.” If a procedure goes poorly, he said, consider how to fix it. “Many complications can be significantly improved or cleared with timely and appropriate intervention,” he said.

In some cases, refunding the patient’s money can be considered, with the patient signing a release, he said. “Document that you are refunding the money in order to preserve the doctor-patient relationship, not to avoid negligence.”

Dr. Jalian and Dr. Avram reported no relevant disclosures.