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Four Hours Before Surgery

Fluids Before Surgery

These are general guidelines for drinking fluids before surgery. Always follow your physician's recommendations.

  • Clear liquids only until 2 hours before your surgery

Except if you have regular nausea, diabetes, ongoing stomach and/or swallowing difficulty. Then drink clear fluids up to 4 hours before your surgery.

Clear liquid can be seen through. Examples of clear liquids include:

  • Water
  • Gatorade (not red or purple)
  • Kool-Aid (not red or purple)
  • Sodas, tea, coffee (no cream)
  • Gelatin (not red or purple and without fruit)
  • Popsicles (no red or purple and without fruit or cream)
  • Juices without pulp
    • Apple juice
    • White grape juice

You may use salt, pepper and sugar before surgery.

Two Hours Before Surgery

Drink a Carbohydrate Beverage

These are general guidelines for your carbohydrate beverage before surgery. Always follow your physician's recommendations.

If you do not have diabetes:

  • Drink 10 oz of clear carbohydrate beverage with or without sugar, including sports drinks, nutritional or clear fruit juice, at bedtime and up to 2 hours before your surgery.

If you have diabetes, it is very important to speak to your physician about:

  • What type of carbohydrate you should drink
  • When you should drink the carbohydrate beverage
  • How much insulin you should use before surgery
  • When a to decrease the amount of insulin you normally take
  • How much insulin you should decrease

If you have other stomach issues, it is very important to speak to your physician about drinking carbohydrate beverages.

Bathing

The day of your surgery, you need to continue using Chlorhexidine (CHG), a germ killing treatment that will clean your skin. Remember not to use CHG on your face around your eyes, mouth or ears.

Learn more about how to bathe the day before surgery.

After Surgery

Early Movement and Walking

Unless your physician says differently, you will be expected to get out of bed the day of and the day after surgery. Moving early in your recovery improves healing, decreases potential blood clots in your veins and helps with your recovery.

The nursing staff will get you out of bed and help you with walking. If physical therapy (PT) is ordered, they will visit you to give an evaluation.

An occupational therapist (OT) may see you to make sure you can complete your self-care by yourself.

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