The next time you confirm that a patient has signed and understands the informed consent, think of Jerry Canterbury, whose paralysis after routine back surgery nearly 60 years ago led to the creation of laws that require surgeons to disclose the risks and benefits of surgery as well as alternative treatment options.

Mr. Canterbury died last March in Hartville, Ohio, at the age of 78 from complications of pulmonary disease. That news of his death didn't reach the mainstream media until now is somewhat fitting. His brief obituary, which he wrote several years ago, made no mention of his role in arguably the most influential malpractice case ever tried.

In December 1958, Mr. Canterbury, who was a 19-year-old FBI employee at the time, went to famed neurosurgeon William T. Spence, MD, to seek relief from severe neck and back pain. He was diagnosed with a ruptured disk and underwent a laminectomy to relieve pressure on the spinal cord. A day after the operation, he fell out of his hospital bed while trying to urinate. His legs went numb and he had difficulty breathing. Mr. Canterbury underwent a second emergency laminectomy. Nearly 4 months later, he was discharged from the hospital with partial paralysis in his legs. He also reportedly suffered a lifetime of urinary incontinence.
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