Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge levels of patients regarding the surgical informed consent. Material and Method: The population of the study consisted of patients hospitalized in the surgical clinics of a university hospital between October and December 2013. The sample group consisted of 200 patients aged 18 and older who met the study criteria between the specified dates, agreed to accept in the study, and were able to communicate. The data were obtained through face-to-face interview method by using questionnaire prepared by the researcher when convenient on the day for which the researcher decided for discharge of the patient. Percentage distribution, mean, and chi-square test were used in order to conduct the statistical evaluation. Results: It was determined that majority of the patients read the informed consent themselves (54.5%), they could not understand the informed consent (70.0%), nurses took signatures for the consent (55.5%), they thought that the consent was a formality (60.0%), and an explanation about the consent was made (54.5%). It was found that the informed consent was understood mostly by the patients who were in the age range of 31-43 years (35.0%), women (53.3%), high school graduate (31.7%), housewife or retired (41.7%), lived in the province (53.3%), were hospitalized at hospital once before (63.3%) and did not undergo any surgery (70.0%). It was found that the rate of those who read and did not understand the surgical informed consent was 62.4% and those not reading the informed consent signed it (75.8%) since it is a formality, those reading the consent understood it (68.3%), an explanation was made to those understanding the consent (75.0%) and those understanding the consent had no suggestion (65.0%) (p <0.05). Conclusion: It was determined that the patients read but did not understand the surgical informed consent, signature of the consent was taken by nurses, the explanations were made by nurses and they signed the consent since it is a formality. In line with these results, it could be recommended to identify problems related to implementation of the informed consent and make institutional strategies for their solutions.