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Previous Volume 341:988-992 September 23, 1999 Number 13 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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Surgical procedures are frequently introduced into general practice on the basis of uncontrolled studies that are less rigorous than those required for the approval of medical interventions.¹ The standard for the evaluation of surgical therapy is lower because of the complexity of designing and conducting scientifically valid and ethically acceptable clinical trials of surgical procedures.² As a result, many surgical trials fail to control for investigator bias or placebo effects.^3,4

The list of inadequately studied invasive or surgical procedures that became part of standard medical practice only to be abandoned after closer scrutiny includes bloodletting, routine tonsillectomy, routine circumcision, repeated . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Ethics of Placebo-Controlled Trials

A Placebo-Controlled Trial of Fetal Nigral Transplantation in Parkinson's Disease

Placebo Effects in the Treatment of Parkinson's Disease

The Trial Design

Risks and Benefits of Participating in the Placebo Group

Conclusions

References

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Placebo Surgery in Trials of Therapy for Parkinson's Disease
Weiner W. J., Burris J. F., Freed C. R., Breeze R. E., Fahn S., Slattery J., Horisberger J.-D., Freeman T. B., Vawter D. E., Olanow C. W., Macklin R.
Extract | Full Text  
N Engl J Med 2000; 342:353-355, Feb 3, 2000. Correspondence

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