If You Do Not Understand the Surgery Explanation, How Can You Check Your Understanding and Choices Before Signing?

If a doctor recommends surgery in mainland China but you cannot understand the explanation before surgery or read the consent form, first tell the care team which language you need an interpreter for. Ask the doctor to explain the surgery, risks, and other options, then ask the interpreter to help check the documents. If anything is still unclear, point to the specific passage and ask the team to explain it again. If your medical condition allows, ask how much time you can have to consider your decision.

This guide mainly helps adult patients who can take part in discussions prepare for a conversation about planned surgery. For minors, patients who cannot express themselves, or emergency treatment, arrangements for participation in decisions and care may differ. Ask the hospital to explain what applies to the specific situation.

Key Points

• Tell the hospital in advance which languages you prefer for listening, speaking, and reading. Ask whether someone with medical interpreting experience can be arranged, when they are available, and what it costs. Do not assume every hospital has the translated documents or interpreting services you need.
• During the surgery discussion, ask the responsible clinical team to explain the purpose, important risks, alternatives, and effects of waiting. The interpreter conveys what is said and cannot replace the doctor's clinical explanation.
• Ask the interpreter to help compare the written information with the doctor's explanation. Ask separately how to record your choices about the scope of surgery, possible changes during surgery, and other uses such as research.
• Mainland China's Civil Code requires explanations of medical risks and alternatives, and explicit consent, for surgery and certain other situations. Separate provisions apply to emergencies when the views of the patient or their close relatives cannot be obtained.[1]

Arrange Language Support in Advance

Contact the surgical department or the hospital's international medical department, preferably before the discussion about surgery, and say: “I use ___ for spoken communication and prefer reading in ___. Can you arrange an interpreter with medical experience for the surgery discussion? If no one is available in person, can we use telephone or video interpreting? Who arranges this, and how much does it cost?” Ask the hospital to confirm whether the interpreter can attend the doctor's explanation and help check the documents, rather than only help with administrative procedures. You can also ask how the interpreter protects sensitive information and records of communication. Ask whether documents or a written summary are available in a language you can read.

Family members can accompany you and add information about your medical history. Ask the interpreter to convey what both the doctor and patient say as fully as possible, including any uncertainty. If you do not clearly understand a medical term, number, body part, or which side of the body is meant, stop the discussion and ask the doctor to explain. A coordinator can help with arrangements, but the clinical team should explain the surgical plan and risks.

If the booked interpreter does not arrive, first contact the surgical department or the person at the hospital responsible for arranging the service. Ask whether telephone or video interpreting can be used, or whether the discussion can be rescheduled. Tell the team what you have not yet understood, and ask the doctor whether waiting would affect your condition. If the communication problem still cannot be resolved, ask the hospital to assign a staff member or involve its complaints management department to help. If the doctor says the situation is urgent, immediately ask them to explain how urgent it is, why treatment cannot wait, and what communication options are available now. Do not delay emergency care on your own.

Ask the Doctor to Explain This Surgery and Other Options

Ask the doctor to answer these questions in relation to your condition:

1. What will be done, and why? What are the name, body site, side, method, and goal of the surgery? Is it intended to clarify a diagnosis, relieve symptoms, or serve another purpose? Who will perform it, and what roles will other team members have?
2. What benefits might I get, and what are the risks? Which risks are common? Which are uncommon but have serious consequences? Will this surgery involve anesthesia, blood transfusion, or implants, and what additional explanations do I need?
3. What other options are there? Are other operations, medicines, or observation suitable for me? What might happen if I delay surgery or do not have it? What needs to be decided today? Is there time to consider my decision or seek a second opinion?
4. How might the plan change during surgery? If the findings differ from what was expected before surgery, might the team change the method, extend the scope, or take other measures? Which possibilities are already covered in the documents and discussion, and which situations would require further communication?
5. What happens afterward? What are the expected recovery and follow-up arrangements? Which symptoms after going home require immediate help, and whom should I contact? What does the estimated cost include, and what might be charged separately? Ask the hospital to provide a separate itemized breakdown.

When you hear a “success rate” or a risk figure, you can ask: “What outcome does this number refer to, over what period, and for which patients? Does it come from research, hospital data, or an estimate based on your experience?” If no figure fits your situation, ask the doctor to explain where the uncertainty lies. Completing the procedure technically, improving symptoms, and achieving long-term results are different matters.

Check Each Part of the Consent Form and Authorization

Ask the interpreter to help you read each section, and check it with the doctor in person: the patient's name and identifying information; diagnosis; procedure name, body site, and side; surgical method and scope; risks and other options discussed; and any relevant arrangements for anesthesia, blood transfusion, implants, or other matters. Check the date and the identity and role of the person signing. If information is inconsistent, blank, or unclear, ask the hospital to explain and correct it first, then check the final version.

Ask the doctor: “Which possible changes during surgery have already been discussed in this document? If something else happens, how does the team plan to handle it, and whom will they contact?” Give the team any limits that matter to you and the relevant contact details so they can check and record them. A single form should not be taken to mean that you have agreed to every possible change. What is actually done still depends on your condition, the applicable rules, and the specific circumstances.

If the document also mentions filming for teaching, research, sample storage, or other uses, ask about the purpose and scope of each, whether you have a choice, and how to record that choice. If research is involved, ask how it differs from routine treatment, what the possible risks and alternatives are, and how to contact the research team after withdrawing. Applicable research ethics rules have separate requirements for research consent.[3]

Explain Your Understanding Back, Then Decide

Ask the interpreter to help you tell the doctor: “My understanding is that the plan is to do ___, with the aim of ___; the main risks are ___; the other options are ___; and if ___ happens, the plan may change. I also understand which situations after going home mean I should contact someone or seek immediate help, and whom to contact. Is my understanding correct?” Ask the doctor to correct anything missing or misunderstood until you can explain the parts that matter to you.

If the spoken explanation differs from the form, point to the specific place. Ask the doctor to explain and the hospital to correct it or explain how it will be recorded. Do not guess. You can clearly tell the doctor that you do not agree, want to postpone, or need more time, and ask about the possible effects of waiting and how to record your decision. Do not sign consent content that you do not understand or that has not been fully completed. Ask the team to explain and correct it, then check it again. Sign only after confirming your choice, the identity of the person signing, and the final document. You can ask how to obtain a copy of the consent form or apply for copies of your medical records. The hospital will explain the application process and required proof of identity.[4]

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the hospital definitely have a consent form in English or my native language?

Do not assume it will. First ask the hospital which languages are available for documents, written summaries, and interpreting. If only Chinese documents are available, ask an interpreter to help you understand each section, and ask the doctor to answer clinical questions.

If a family member speaks Chinese, can they make decisions for me directly?

Speaking Chinese does not mean someone has authority to make decisions on your behalf. If you can take part, ask the team to communicate directly with you and involve family members according to your wishes. If the situation involves a minor, the ability to express oneself, or authority to act on someone's behalf, ask the hospital to explain the applicable basis, who must give consent, and what supporting documents are needed.

Can I ask new questions or change my mind after signing?

Tell the doctor in charge as soon as possible about your questions or change of mind. Ask them to explain the next steps, how much time your condition allows, and how the hospital will record this. How this is handled varies by stage and specific circumstances. Do not tell only the person accompanying you.

What if the plan changes before surgery?

Ask the doctor to explain the reason for the change, the new risks and alternatives, and how your decision will be recorded again. Ask the interpreter to help check the updated documents. If communication in advance is not possible during surgery, or an emergency occurs, how it is handled depends on the circumstances at that time and the applicable rules.

If no suitable interpreter is available, can I use a translation app on my phone?

You can ask the hospital whether it can initially help you communicate your language needs or support communication. However, for the scope of surgery, risks, and decisions, ask the hospital to help arrange someone who can communicate reliably, and have the doctor check the key meaning. If a translation is unclear, ask for clarification immediately.

What if the patient cannot express themselves, or the situation is critical?

Immediately ask the care team to explain the patient's condition, who will take part in communication, and the applicable process. Mainland Chinese law provides that, in an emergency such as rescuing a patient whose life is in danger, if the views of the patient or their close relatives cannot be obtained, the relevant medical measures may be carried out immediately with approval from the person in charge of the medical institution or an authorized person in charge.[1] Whether these conditions are met depends on the specific circumstances.

How can I arrange coordination or interpreting services?

Ask the hospital first. If you need EastMedGo coordination, see Services and Fees and confirm the written scope of services, interpreting arrangements, and quote. That service page states that in-person interpreting is quoted separately unless expressly included in the confirmation document. Medical decisions are made by patients and qualified healthcare professionals.

Sources

1. Civil Code of the People's Republic of China, Articles 1219 and 1220. Mainland China's provisions on medical risks, alternatives, and emergencies in surgery and other medical care.
2. National Health Commission: Measures for the Management of Complaints in Medical Institutions, Articles 20 and 21, on communication between healthcare professionals and patients, and explanations patients can understand.
3. National Health Commission: Measures for the Ethical Review of Life Science and Medical Research Involving Humans, Articles 17 and 33–37; applies only to research covered by these measures.
4. National Health Commission: Provisions on the Management of Medical Records in Medical Institutions, 2013 version, Articles 17–19 and 21–22, on applications for copies of medical records, supporting documents, and surgical consent forms.

Sources checked: 2026-11-06.