5 good reflexes before an outpatient surgery

5 good reflexes before an outpatient surgery

Many interventions now take place outpatient, coming in and out of the hospital or clinic the same day. Our checklist to prepare well.

D-10: Get rid of paperwork

You will still be at the exit, rest assured! But anything that can be done before is good to take. You will have many things to fill regarding your admission to the hospital or clinic: authorization to operate, consent for anesthesia ... We often have these documents in advance to read them carefully at home and fill them quiet before the stress of D-day. Do not procrastinate!

J-7: buy drugs, splint ...

The anesthetist told you about pain management and gave a prescription. Buy your medicines upstream. You do not have to wait for your return home in the evening to realize that you have to go to the pharmacy! Buy the passage, if necessary, the product to perform the preoperative shower (not reimbursed, it costs a few euros). If the surgeon has prescribed a immobilization splint (it is reimbursed), do not wait until the last minute to go to the pharmacy. There may be a delay of a few days to receive the product at the right size.

J-1: prepare your file

You will need many documents on D-Day. Prepare them carefully so you do not forget anything. Vital card with certificate of entitlement, identity card and mutual card are essential (if you have photocopies, get yourself in too). Of course, your entire medical file must also accompany you: reports of consultations, current orders, biological examinations, radiology ... Think about all pre-admission documents already filled if they had been given upstream.

And do not forget your checkbook! You will have to make an advance of expenses regarding the overruns of possible fees, before being supported - for all or part - by your mutual. You can also ask him upstream the amount of reimbursements provided by sending the quote provided by the hospital or clinic. Finally, anticipate your return home the next evening: you are not allowed to leave the place alone, or even to stay alone the first night.

J-1: Follow the instructions of the anesthesiologist

You must now know your time of admission and the instructions to follow. Read them carefully. We generally ask to fast before about 8h before the procedure. Do not take liberty with this directive unless you have talked to your doctor before. Regarding alcohol and tobacco, it is necessary to stop all consumption 12 hours before the operation.

D-1 and D-day: the preoperative shower

You normally have all the information concerning this skin preparation, which aims to prevent the risk of infection. Respect the protocol. First, remember to remove your nail polish and cut your nails. In some cases, you may also have an area to be stripped at the doctor's request. Use a hypoallergenic depilatory cream (Vichy type) but no razor! Finally, perform the required preoperative showers. Generally, it is requested to do a full shower (head to toe) the day before and a simple shower (without washing hair) the same morning. Remember to wipe with a clean towel and put on clean clothes after each shower of course.

5 good reflexes before an outpatient surgery