"The man arrived suffering from abdominal pain. Examination confirmed the diagnosis of acute cholecystitis--an inflamed gall bladder filled with stones. The attending surgeon scheduled the necessary simple operation for that afternoon. However, as soon as he heard the word surgery, the patient became visibly distraught and announced his decision to leave the hospital immediately. The surgeon, puzzled by this turn of events, demanded that the patient sign a form accepting responsibility for refusing the recommended treatment. The young medical student delegated to complete the necessary documentation, was able to engage the patient in a quiet discussion that uncovered the origins of his distress. Forty years earlier, the then ten-year-old patient and his mother were reassured that their father and husband required a 'simple' operation-one that led to an unforeseen complication and intraoperative death. Vignette from the television series ER"--