Southard v. Temple University Hospital

OPINION

Justice CAPPY

We granted allocatur limited to the issue of whether the doctrine of informed consent requires surgeons to advise their patients of the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) regulatory status of a medical device. We conclude that there is no such requirement, and therefore we reverse that portion of the Superior Court’s order that held otherwise.

Appellee Branes Southard injured his back at work in 1987 and again in 1989. In October 1992, in an attempt to alleviate Appellee’s back pain, Appellants Dr. Clements and Dr. Young at Temple University Hospital implanted a spinal…