This is a story from many years ago, a couple of decades back:
An OB/GYN doctor performed a hysterectomy on a patient in her 40's for irregular bleeding and other problems. She had a long history of infertility and had finally given up. Given this history and the bleeding, the doctor did not do a pregnancy test prior to the surgery.
The pathologist found a tiny fetus in the uterus. The OB/GYN was devastated to learn of this.
It was eventually decided that it would do more harm to her and her family to disclose the fact than not to, since it was an irretrievable situation.
Your call. Was this the right decision, for that era? Would we handle this kind of case differently today? Please comment.
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