'That's okay for me.' 'But it's not okay for me.' Tension and balance between patient's will and surgeon's motivation

This Reflective Practice describes the potential tension between the patient's will and surgeon's motivation. I, as the care given surgeon, learned a couple of intensive lessons trough the presented case, which I would like to share with colleagues to let them also reflect in similar situations about patient's will and their ambition to help and heal. The patient's will is inviolable, even if physicians sometimes wish differently. We have to respect patients' wishes and support them in their decisions. Do not be ashamed to admit that you suffer in your role as physician, for example if you might lose a patient to complications. Regular conversations with the caregiver team are essential. Talking to others, or writing a reflection piece such as this, might be one of my coping strategies. We don't know everything: medicine is sometimes unpredictable, even for experienced physicians. (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.