This paper discusses a survey which was carried out to investigate the types of risks and inconveniences which are normally disclosed by surgeons before operations.

By restricting the survey to a specific operation, the Charnley Hip Replacement procedure, greater precision in replies was obtained.

The results, however, shed light on both the medical and the legal aspects of informed decision in surgery generally.

The survey data was analysed using the concept of neighbourhood consensus [1: Dodd F. J. and Donegan H. A. Proc. of ILIAM 6, pp. 17-29.

University of Ulster Press, Ulster, 1989].