The Surgical clinics of North America
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The perceived risk of legal liability looms large as a major barrier to optimal palliative care among surgeons. Aggressive pain management may cause respiratory depression and death, whereas withdrawal of support may lead to a charge of manslaughter. Citing legal principles and precedents, this article explains why there is legal support for terminal analgesia and sedation, balanced chronic pain management, and effective surgeon-patient communication in the setting of good surgical palliative care.