Percutaneous hydrotomy relies on subcutaneous injections of saline solution, sometimes enriched with vitamins and minerals, at the level of painful areas. For patients seeking a practitioner trained in this technique in France, the situation has become significantly more complex since the disciplinary decisions of professional orders. Understanding the current regulatory framework allows for better guidance in the search and helps avoid dead ends.
Disciplinary Framework and Access to Care: What Has Changed Since 2023
The National Council of the Order of Physicians classified percutaneous hydrotomy as a new unproven technique as of June 27, 2023. This classification led to disciplinary sanctions against healthcare professionals practicing the technique, whether they are doctors or nurses.
The International Association of Percutaneous Hydrotomy (AIHP) was forced to remove the list of practitioners from its website. Patients who previously consulted a dedicated directory now find themselves without an official registry.
However, the Council of State annulled, on October 11, 2024, the decision of the national disciplinary chamber of the order of nurses that prohibited the practice. The jurisdiction found that the injunction addressed to the CNOI was not related to any of the powers held by the disciplinary chambers. This annulment only applies to nurses and does not constitute recognition of the technique by health authorities.
| Element | Doctors | Nurses |
|---|---|---|
| Initial ordinal decision | Suspension of practice (June 2023) | Prohibition (May 2023) |
| Council of State decision | Not known in context | Annulment of prohibition (October 2024) |
| Public list of practitioners | Removed | Removed |
| Regulatory status of the technique | Not listed in the nomenclature | Not listed in the nomenclature |
This table highlights a discrepancy between the situation of nurses, partially disengaged from litigation, and that of doctors, still subject to the ordinal qualification. To guide the search, it is useful to know which professionals can practice this technique with a more stable legal basis, and a resource on percutaneous hydrotomy practitioners near you details concrete avenues.
Percutaneous Hydrotomy Outside Nomenclature: Consequences on Reimbursement
The technique is not recognized as a standard medical act by Health Insurance. It remains in a so-called “outside nomenclature” zone, meaning that sessions are generally fully borne by the patient.
Some mutual insurance companies cover part of the costs related to complementary medicine, but this coverage varies greatly from one contract to another. Before making an appointment, it is relevant to check with the complementary organization if a “soft medicine” or “out-of-nomenclature acts” package is provided.
Cross-Border Care and Percutaneous Hydrotomy
The European Directive 2011/24/EU on cross-border healthcare allows a patient to receive treatment in another member state and be reimbursed at least at the cost of treatment in their country of origin. This possibility only applies if the act is recognized in the French system. For percutaneous hydrotomy, not listed in France, cross-border reimbursement does not work.
A patient traveling to Belgium or Spain to benefit from this technique would therefore not be able to rely on this mechanism to obtain coverage from the CPAM.
Searching for a Practitioner in Percutaneous Hydrotomy: Channels Still Accessible
The AIHP no longer publishes a list of practitioners on its site. Directories of complementary medicine remain the main access route. Platforms like Resalib list professionals who claim to practice percutaneous hydrotomy, with information on rates and patient reviews.
Several points deserve attention before contacting a practitioner:
- Check that the professional is registered with an order (doctor or nurse) and that their registration is active, via the official directories of professional orders
- Ensure that the practitioner has undergone specific training in the technique, ideally provided or recognized by the AIHP
- Ask during the first contact whether the practice is carried out in a private office or in a multidisciplinary setting, which may indicate a more structured medical follow-up
- Inquire with the practitioner about the injected products (saline solution, vitamins, minerals) and their traceability
Difference with Mesotherapy
Percutaneous hydrotomy is sometimes confused with mesotherapy. Both techniques share the principle of local injections, but they differ on a fundamental point: mesotherapy uses medications (anti-inflammatories, vasodilators), while percutaneous hydrotomy is limited to non-drug products (saline solution, vitamins, trace elements).
This distinction has regulatory consequences. Mesotherapy, which involves the injection of medications, is more strictly regulated and reserved for doctors. Percutaneous hydrotomy, using products without specific marketing authorization in this context, falls within a less defined regulatory zone, which partly explains the tensions with professional orders.
Strengthened Disciplinary Context for Non-Validated Techniques
Recent decisions by the Council of State, particularly those from March 2024 and July 2026, indicate a stricter disciplinary context for any technique presented as innovative but not validated by scientific authorities. A practitioner proposing percutaneous hydrotomy exposes themselves to ordinal proceedings, even though the 2024 decision has partially lifted the prohibition for nurses.
A request for evaluation of the technique has been addressed to the Ministry of Health by the AIHP. As long as this evaluation has not been completed, the situation remains uncertain for both practitioners and patients. The petition of nearly 3,000 patients and the CERFA testimonies collected by the AIHP reflect a real therapeutic demand, but they do not replace institutional scientific validation.
For an actively searching patient, caution consists of prioritizing a healthcare professional registered with their order, transparent about their training and the regulatory status of the technique. The absence of a centralized directory makes the process longer, but complementary medicine platforms and direct contact with the AIHP remain the two most reliable avenues to date.