Abstract

ESSENCE OF SURGICAL ETHICS IN AYURVEDA

Saxena Varsha* and Kumar Pradeep

ABSTRACT

The Word ethics is derived from the Greek word ethos means “characters”. Ethics is branch of Philosophy that defines what is good for the individual and for society and establishes the nature of obligations, or the duties, that people owe themselves and one another. Medical & surgical ethics is considered as the principle of proper professional conduct concerning the right and duties of physician/surgeon himself, his patients and his fellow practitioners. Acharya Sushruta started the elaboration of surgical ethics from Sutra sthana. The ethical concept of surgery is described in Sushrut Samhita in reference to both physical and moral conduct of a student, professional and academic ethics, pre-operative ethics, operative ethics, post-operative ethics and importance of experimental surgery and ethics in emergency surgery etc. All these concepts show strict prevalence with modern surgical ethics which also show the concept like importance of informed consent, doctor-doctor relationship, doctor- patient relationship, doctor-state relationship, doctor-attendant relationship, attendant patient relationship, patient autonomy etc. Therefore Acharya Sushruta can also be called as the forefather of surgical ethics. So purpose of this review article is to elaborate description of surgical ethics is Ayurveda.

Keywords: Ethics, Sushrut Samhita, Ayurveda.