Surgeons who come across a tumour or leaky blood vessel in the middle of another elective surgery are often prepared to treat it - even without patient consent, new research from Otago University has found.
And a second Otago paper found the public agrees they should operate if they find something abnormal, especially if it threatens the patient's health and is a low-risk procedure.
But surgeons could risk being disciplined if they go ahead, because patients are rarely asked for consent to operate on an incidental finding before surgery.
The researchers argue that medical consent forms should include a clause giving surgeons permission to act if they see something unusual.
The two papers, published in today's New Zealand Medical Journal, are thought to be the first international studies where surgeons, patients and the public are asked their views on incidental findings during surgery.