Preparing for surgery isn't about memorizing a universal protocol. The most useful information concerns patient rights, the transmission of medical history, safety checks, discharge documents, and how to request assistance. This quiz presents ten general scenarios to review these key points.
The fasting calculator. Another tool on the site, more practical: the pre-operative fasting calculator, which gives the time of the last meal starting from the time of the procedure. Open the calculator.
The questions are presented in a fixed order so that each section can be easily reviewed. The result is neither a diagnosis, nor a validation of your preparation, nor an opinion on a procedure. If an answer seems different from the instructions you received, ask the surgeon, the anesthesiologist, or the relevant department for clarification.
A quiz for review, not for deciding
Each question relates to a document or organizational procedure: requesting clear information, reporting a change, participating in identity checks, retaining submitted documents, and recognizing a situation that warrants an urgent call. No option requires interpreting a symptom, modifying a treatment, or assessing whether a person is a suitable candidate for surgery.
The explanations are based on resources from the French National Authority for Health (HAS), the National Health Insurance Fund (Assurance Maladie), the Public Service (Service Public), and the French Society of Anesthesia and Intensive Care. They remain general in nature. Local procedures and individualized instructions from the team always take precedence.
Quiz on the key stages of the surgical procedure
Privacy: Your choices remain only on the open page. They are neither sent nor saved. The quiz reviews general knowledge and does not assess any medical aptitude.
Questions verified
The key points addressed in the ten questions
Information, choice and consent
Before providing treatment, the professional must give appropriate information about what is being offered, its purpose, its consequences, the normally foreseeable risks, other possible solutions, and the consequences of refusing it. This information allows the patient to ask questions and participate in the decision-making process. It does not constitute a promise of results.
Preparing your questions in advance helps you avoid relying on your memory during the consultation. Our pre-operative preparation checklist offers a document-based approach without replacing the consultation with professionals.
Anesthesia and information to be transmitted
The anesthesia consultation is used to gather the information necessary for your care. It is helpful to bring the requested documents and to mention any current treatments, known allergies, medical history, and any recent changes. An old prescription or an incomplete recollection is not a substitute for up-to-date information.
Instructions regarding food, drinks, medication, arrival, and departure are provided by the staff. These instructions vary depending on the patient's file and the facility's organization. A general information page cannot correct them. In case of discrepancies or omissions, contact the relevant department rather than improvising.
Identity, intervention, and cross-checks
In the operating room, the checklist helps the team share essential information and verify critical points. Repeated requests regarding the patient's identity, the procedure, or the site involved serve as safety safeguards. They do not imply that the patient must agree to a medical decision; rather, they allow for the detection of any discrepancies before the procedure.
The patient can contribute simply by stating their identity when requested and by immediately reporting any information that seems different from what was agreed upon. Healthcare professionals remain responsible for verification and decision-making.
Trusted person and support
A trusted person can, if you wish, accompany you through the process and attend meetings. If you are no longer able to express your wishes, they can be consulted to report on the situation. Their role is not necessarily that of the person to be notified in case of an emergency. The designation remains the patient's choice.
Anxiety can make it difficult to retain information. The guide to pre-operative anxiety explains how to prepare for the exchange without hiding your concerns from the team.
Discharge, continuity of care and emergency
Before returning home, check that you have your discharge documents, instructions specific to your situation, any appointments already scheduled or to be made, and a way to contact the service in case of any problems. Continuity of care depends on clear communication between the facility, the patient, the attending physician, and the relevant community healthcare professionals.
At home, sudden difficulty breathing, severe chest pain, loss of consciousness, severe discomfort, or major bleeding warrants calling 15 or 112. 114 is accessible to deaf, deafblind, hard-of-hearing, or aphasic individuals. For a non-life-threatening but new or worrying condition, use the contact information provided by the team.
The guide to recovery after surgery at home helps to organize documents and the environment, without offering a standard care program.
How to interpret the quiz results
The validations are solely for reviewing the guidelines presented on this page. They do not constitute a readiness score or a medical evaluation. They do not measure your understanding of your own intervention, the quality of a facility, the level of risk, or your suitability for surgery. They should never be used to delay a call, modify instructions, or challenge a clinical decision on your own.
A hesitant answer can become a question to note for the next consultation: who to contact, what document to bring, how to report a change, what written instructions to keep. This is the most useful application of the quiz. Explanations appear under each question after verification. The choices remain on the page and disappear upon reloading.
Editorial method and sources
The questions were limited to general knowledge and safety procedures. They do not describe any personalized protocols. The institutional sources listed below were checked during the writing process; their updates and the institution's procedures should be verified before further use.
- Public Service, Patient Information on Their Health Status.
- Public Service, Trusted Person in Health Matters.
- SFAR, Medical Information on Anesthesia.
- French National Authority for Health, Generic Operating Room Safety Checklist.
- French National Authority for Health, Understanding Patient Safety.
- French National Authority for Health, Discharge from Hospital and Continuity of Care.
- Public Service, Emergency Numbers to Call.
- Health Insurance: Responding to sudden respiratory distress.
