In Re the Guardianship of Ingram

The issues in this case concern a guardian's power to order surgery on an incompetent person who has expressed her opposition to the surgery, and the standards to be applied by courts when facing such a situation. The case arises from the guardian's petition to order surgery filed July 12, 1984, in the Yakima County Superior Court. The evidence at the hearing on the petition showed that the ward had malignant cancer of the larynx, and that the only methods of treatment were either radiation therapy or removal of the vocal cords. The latter method has a higher success rate, but carries with it…