​PREPARATION

FASTING INSTRUCTIONS
To ensure your anaesthetic is safe, please follow these guidelines carefully:
  • Stop eating solid food and milk 6 hours before your hospital admission time. This includes avoiding milk in coffee and tea, and alcohol (NB this increases to 24 hrs if taking Ozempic or similar drugs)
  • Fasting is important because it reduces the risk of stomach contents being regurgitated during anaesthesia, which can cause lung damage.
  • If these fasting instructions are not followed, your surgery may need to be postponed to another date.
  • ​You may take small sips of water up to 2 hours before your hospital admission.
  • You can also take your regular tablets with a small amount of water at any time before your operation.

YOUR MEDICATION
  • Please bring a medication list with you to hospital on the day of surgery
  • Take all your usual medications on the day of surgery with a small sip of water, except for diabetic medications and blood thinners. This includes blood pressure medications, pain relief, heart medications, and inhalers.
  • If you are unsure about whether to continue or stop any medication, please contact me before your surgery.


    SPECIAL MEDICATION INSTRUCTIONS

  • Ozempic / Mounjaro / Wegovy (or similar)
    • You must follow a 24-hour clear fluid fast before your procedure.
    • These medications can delay stomach emptying, so this extended fasting helps ensure your stomach is empty and reduces anaesthesia risks.
  • Blood Thinners eg. Aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix, Iscover), warfarin, dabigatran (Pradaxa), apixaban (Eliquis) etc.
    • Depending on your surgery and reason for taking blood thinners, these medications may need to be stopped several days prior.
    • Your surgeon will advise you; if not, please contact me for instructions.
  • Diabetes
    • Do not take any oral diabetic medications on the day of surgery.
    • If you use insulin, you will usually need a reduced dose on the morning of your operation. Please contact me to discuss your insulin regimen.
    • IMPORTANT: If you take a diabetes medication ending in -gliflozin (e.g., dapagliflozin, empagliflozin, canagliflozin, ertugliflozin) — commonly sold under brand names like Jardiance, Forxiga, Xigduo, or Glyxambi — you should stop this medication 3 days before moderate or major surgery (usually surgeries requiring overnight admission).
    • Please contact me to discuss this further.

SMOKING AND ANAESTHESIA/SURGERY
  • Smoking increases the risks associated with anaesthesia and can affect your recovery after surgery. It also raises the likelihood of complications such as:
    • Poor or delayed wound healing
    • Increased risk of infection
    • Breathing problems during and after anaesthesia
  • You are strongly advised to stop smoking at least 6 weeks before your procedure to reduce these risks.
    If that’s not possible, smoking should be avoided for at least 48 hours before surgery.
  • If you need support to quit, speak with your GP about nicotine replacement therapy or other options.

If you have any concerns or questions about these instructions please contact me.