Outpatient surgery at the Victor Hugo Clinic allows you to recover quickly in the comfort of your own home. It usually involves elective, minor, low-risk (haemorrhagic / respiratory) procedures.
1/ Consultation with your physician
Your forthcoming operation was recommended and explained by your surgeon. The surgeon’s secretary gave you a preadmission form and set the date for your operation.
2/ Consultation with your anaesthetist
As your surgeon has mentioned, you will be given an anaesthetic. As soon as the date for surgery has been set, you must make an appointment with the anaesthetist prior to the procedure. The consultation must take place at least 48 hours before the scheduled procedure date.
Make sure you bring to the consultation the following:
- Recent prescriptions for medicines you are currently taking
- Results of tests prescribed by the surgeon.
- The preoperative anaesthetic questionnaire
If you usually take medication in the morning, let the anaesthetist know during your consultation.
If you have any doubts or concerns, feel free to ask the anaesthetist as many questions as you wish. Take the time to read carefully all the documents given to you during the consultation. They contain important recommendations to which you must comply.
3/ Preadmissions
You can now complete your pre-admission online by sending the documents below to the following email address:
- ID card (passport, family record book for minors)
- Carte Vitale (Social Security) certificate
- Hospitalisation form
Pre-admission consists of:
- Recording your personal data (identity, contact details, etc.)
- Ensuring your documents are up to date (social security certificate, health insurance card, proof of address dated within the last three months, family record book, identity card, etc.) and identifying whether you should request your health insurance provider to cover the costs.
- Confirming your room choices (private room and personalised services)
- Explaining the hospitalisation rates.
- Designating a trusted person, a contact person, and the person who will accompany you home.
- Obtaining the necessary documents (operation consent form, informed consent form, anaesthesia consent form, quotation for surgical fees)
Special cases
- For minors: Article 372-2 of the French Civil Code stipulates that any medical procedure on a minor requires the prior consent of all joint legal representatives. (See page 8 – Practical guide: Your child is having surgery)
- For protected adults (trusteeship or guardianship): the surgery consent form MUST be signed by the legal representative, who must provide official proof of their capacity as guardian. Protected adults must be accompanied during their hospitalisation.
- Dependent persons must be accompanied during their hospitalisation.
4/ Medical advice before your outpatient surgery
You have an appointment for an outpatient examination or surgical procedure at the Victor Hugo Clinic, i.e. your hospital stay will be less than 12 hours. You will arrive on the day of your appointment and you will return home on the same day before 8:00 p.m. with the agreement of the surgeon and the anaesthetist. The specific nature of this type of hospitalisation means that a certain number of important precautions must be taken to ensure everything runs smoothly.
The day before your admission, you will receive a call from the outpatient surgery team to remind you of the pre-operative hygiene instructions to be followed and to confirm your arrival time.
Hygiene instructions :
- Remove all jewellery and piercings, hearing aids, dentures, contact lenses, etc.
- Take a shower with an antiseptic soap.
- Thoroughly clean the area where surgery will be performed (remove any hair if instructed).
Have a quiet evening: eat a light dinner and do not drink any alcohol.
Take your medication as usual, unless otherwise indicated by the anaesthetist.
All types of hospitalisation carry a preventable risk of infection. You should therefore shower with your regular soap, following the advice provided to you. Remove any hair around the surgical area if requested by the surgeon.
If you have a wound near the surgical area, inform your physician’s administrative office, which will determine whether the operation should be postponed.
5/ Admissions
On the morning of your admission to the outpatient surgery department at the Victor Hugo Clinic, take a shower again before you leave home, repeating the same steps.
Unless specifically indicated otherwise by the anaesthetist, you may eat up to 6 hours before elective surgery and drink clear liquids (water, tea or coffee ± sugar without milk) up to 2 hours before surgery.
You must remove the following at home before showering :
- All make-up and day creams,
- Nail polish (permanent or temporary) and any false nails,
- Jewellery (including those made of fabric or cord, wedding rings) and piercings.
Don’t forget to bring your medical file with you. It should include the following:
- Your proof of identity (national identity card, passport, family record book for children, etc.)
- Your Carte Vitale (Social Security) card
- Your private health insurance card and policy certificate detailing the services covered
- If you are covered by the CMU (France’s universal health coverage): proof of coverage
- If you were injured at work or have contracted a work-related disease: workplace accident form filled in by your employer
- If you are a beneficiary of Article L-115: a sheet from your health record
- If you are a foreign patient from a European Community country: European health insurance card
- Your blood type card (if you have one)
- Your lab test results
- Your X-rays and details of ongoing treatment
- Details of any other examinations or information that may be useful to us
When you arrive at the relevant department of the Victor Hugo Clinic, our healthcare team will welcome you and help settle you in. The physicians and all department staff will be available to answer any specific questions you may have. Please notify them on admission of any change in your state of health since the anaesthetic consultation (fever, cough, pain, pregnancy, etc.).
Medicines
If you are undergoing treatment, you must hand over all your medicines and their corresponding prescriptions to the duty nurse as soon as you arrive.
6/ Postoperative instructions
Following anaesthesia, you must :
- Notify a family member or caregiver so they can accompany you home. You will not be allowed to drive a vehicle.
- Arrange for someone to stay with you for the first 24 hours after surgery and keep a phone nearby.
If the medical staff determine that you are not well enough to return home, they may consider keeping you in overnight.
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) provides comprehensive patient management and improved quality of care before, during and after surgery.
