The patient was a known case of congenital hip dislocation (CHD) – her left hip joint was dislocated since birth. A surgery was performed when she was a year and half. At the age of fourteen she discovered that her left leg was short by four inches. She approached another doctor who operated the leg by Illizarov method, but to no avail.

The patient was admitted at a reputed hospital where biopsy from brain lesion confirmed diagnosis of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). Her family was taken aback at the findings of cancer. They opted for chemotherapy with hopes of curing her.

The patient was diagnosed with stones in left kidney and was taken to a hospital. The urologist performed percutaneous nephrolithothomy (PCNL), a fairly common and simple procedure these days, and discharged the patient after thirty six hours.

The patient developed high grade fever and received treatment from her local doctor but to no avail. She was subsequently taken to a hospital where tests confirmed presence of dengue.

The patient suffered from chronic liver disease (CLD) and was taken to hospital with complains of yellowish discolouration of eyes, nausea, vomiting and mild pain in abdomen since two months. The doctors advised and performed liver transplantation, but patient’s condition worsened after the procedure.

A pregnant patient was under antenatal care of the gynaecologist. She had informed the doctor about autism in her first child and had requested him to take appropriate care in diagnosing the development of second child. However, the patient herself was very irregular in following the gynaecologist’s advice.

Is it mandatory to send tissue for histopathological examination (HPE) for every case, every time? Medical science and law both say that it is the surgeon’s prerogative.