Ingested material	Minimum Fastering Period
clear Liquids	2 hours
breast Milk	4 hours
formula	6 hours
milk (non-human)	8 hours
solids	8 hours

These are the guidelines recommended by the American Society of Anesthesiologists. The guidelines are applied in each individal case according to the clinical judgement of the attending anesthesiologist.

These recommendations apply to healthy patients who are undergoing elective surgery. They are not intended for women in labor.

The fasting periods apply to all ages.

Examples of clear liquids are water, fruit juices without pulp, carbonated beverages, clear tea, and black coffee. **Citrus Juices or juices with pulp are NOT clear liquids. Milk is NOT a clear liquid.

No solid food after midnight. This means: NO orange juice, pear juice or any other thick juices. NO milk. NO oatmeal. NO chewing gum. No Candy. It is OK to brush your teeth in the morning if you do not swallow the water

For infants: NO breast milk 4 hours before surgery. NO formula 6 hours before surgery.

Why do we need to refrain from eating 8 hours before surgery?

Anytime you eat, acid is produced in the stomach to help digest the food. This acid is very caustic. The stomach and intestine have a protective lining to insure that there is no damage from these fluids. Unfortunately, the lungs do not have this lining. When someone is under anesthesia, the muscles (sphincters) are relaxed and gag reflexes are depressed so that it is possible for the acid to travel up the esophagus and get into the trachea and lungs. Depending on the volume and acidity of the gastric contents, this could become a life threatening situation. Therefore, please adhere to our guidelines for food intake before surgery.

Medications Before Surgery

If you normally take medication in the morning, you may take a few sips of water with your usual morning medications. In addition, it is ok to brush your teeth in the morning if you do not swallow the water.

NOTE: Do not take diabetes medications (including pills or insulin, any medications with blood-thinning effects (such as aspirin, coumadin, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as Motrin) on the day of surgery. Coumadin should be stopped according to the time frame discussed with your surgeon. Be sure to inquire with your surgeon when to stop coumadin.

Please follow any additional instructions your surgeon has provided you in regards to medications before surgery.