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Fasting, Medications and Preparation for your Anaesthetic

  1. Water (or Clear Oral Fluids) may be taken until 2 hours before entering the operating room. Clear Oral Fluids are fluids that you can read newsprint through - examples are black tea or coffee, cordial and commercially available "preoperative" drinks.
  2. Solid food, and also milk and milk products may be taken until 6 hours before entering the operating room.

It is unsafe to proceed with elective anaesthesia if the above two rules are not adhered to.

Please feel free to check with the clinic nurse, anaesthetist and surgeon about your medications.  Below are some general guidelines to help you.

Generally, all medications should be continued and taken on the morning of surgery with a small amount of water.

  1. If you are on heart or blood pressure medications you should usually remain on that drug throughout the peri-operative period. If you are taking aspirin, it may be safest to continue this up to and including the time of surgery. Some surgery may create the need to stop your aspirin, but ensure you have discussed this fully with your healthcare providers.
  2. If you are taking warfarin, you need to be advised when to stop taking it or to specifically continue taking it.

  3. If you are on one of the "MAOI" group of antidepressants, this will need to be discussed with the anaesthetist and/or your psychiatrist at least 3 weeks prior to surgery so a decision can be made whether to stop/continue medication.

  4. If you are taking blood-thinning drugs because you have a coronary stent, this needs to be highlighted and discussed fully with all your healthcare providers prior to surgery.

  5. If you are taking steroids you will be told whether you need to change your dose.

Management of diabetic medication:

  1. Do not take oral diabetic medication on the day of surgery.
  2. If surgery is in the morning - do not eat breakfast and do NOT take your morning insulin.
  3. If surgery is in the afternoon - have a light breakfast before 7am and take insulin as normal.  

Smoking. Cessation of tobacco smoking prior to surgery improves healing, and also makes anaesthesia safer. Even refraining from smoking for as little as 24 hours prior to surgery may make a difference.

Recreational Drugs. Undergoing anaesthesia while under the influence of recreational drugs may cause life threatening reactions.

Herbal and Alternative Therapies. These are usually permitted, but are not always free of problems. Herbal remedies such as garlic, ginkgo and ginseng may significantly increase bleeding during surgery.

Locations Information

Choose one of the locations above for address and contact information.