Why must my child refrain from eating and/or drinking prior to surgery?
The reason for fasting prior to surgery is to reduce the risks of aspirating gastric contents during the surgery. This complication, although rare, is very serious and parents need to strictly follow our recommendations. This has nothing to do with nausea and vomiting after the surgery. We have very clear policies as to specific ages and time periods before surgery when the child must refrain from eating and/or drinking. These are all based on safety standards. We believe that the fasting time should be as short as possible before the surgery. Home medications? Generally we request that you give most medications on the morning of surgery. This should be discussed with your surgeon who will contact us with any questions, and refer you for a preoperative consultation if necessary. Medication may be taken with a sip of water on the day of surgery. Please bring in all medications with you on the day of surgery. Some medications will be stopped for the surgery, particularly diabetes medicat
