In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, surgeons are being forced to shift from patient-centered ethics to public health ethics. This shift will inevitably cause moral distress for surgeons as they are forced to alter elective surgical schedules and shift to other aspects of patient care. It is imperative that we realize the changes that are occurring in the current international setting of absolute scarcities so that surgeons are best equipped to navigate these challenging ethical waters.
Surgeons, Ethics, and COVID-19: Early Lessons Learned