"Aren't Surgery and Palliative Care Kind of Opposites?"

Abstract

Surgery is often considered one of the most aggressive forms of medical care. Palliative care, on the other hand, usually focuses on eliminating aggressive forms of medical care in the name of patient comfort. This article explores the seeming incongruity between surgery and palliative care, conditions in which surgery and palliation coexist, and further integration of surgery and palliation.