Informed consent in orofacial harmonization

Informed consent is the patient's free agreement to a procedure, given after receiving clear information about what will be done, why, with which alternatives, risks and limits. It is a communication process, not just a piece of paper: the signed form is the record that this conversation took place.

In orofacial harmonization (HOF), where procedures are elective and aesthetic, the duty to inform carries even more weight. The patient chooses to have it done, and therefore needs to understand well what they can and cannot expect.

What does a consent form usually contain?

• Identification of the patient, the professional and the procedure.
• Goal and indication, in accessible language.
• Product to be used and whether the effect is temporary.
• Risks and complications, from common ones, such as swelling and bruising, to rare and serious ones, such as vascular occlusion.
• Alternatives, including not doing it.
• Care before and after, and the need for a follow-up visit.
• Specific authorization for recording and any use of photos.
• Space for questions and the possibility of revoking consent.

Templates and requirements vary according to the rules of each professional council in Brazil, which should be consulted.

What about photos and simulations?

Clinical photographs and images generated from them involve personal data, which also brings in the rules of the LGPD (Brazil's data protection law). It is advisable to separate consent for the procedure from consent for the use of images, and to make clear when an image is an illustrative simulation and not a promise of results. The topic is explored further in consent and LGPD for photos.

This content is informational and does not replace legal advice.

Also called: free and informed consent form (TCLE, in Brazil), consent form.