General anesthesia

The Mayo Clinic Diet Book, learn more

Free

E-newsletter

Subscribe to Housecall

Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics.

Sign up now

How you prepare

By Mayo Clinic staff

General anesthesia relaxes the muscles in your digestive tract and airway that keeps food and acid in your stomach and out of your lungs. That's why it's important to follow your doctor's instructions about when to stop eating and drinking prior to surgery. In most cases, you should start fasting about six hours before your procedure. You may be able to drink fluids, such as coffee, until a few hours before your surgery.

Your doctor may tell you to take certain medications with a small sip of water during your fasting time. Discuss your medications with your doctor.

You may need to avoid some medications, such as aspirin and some other over-the-counter blood thinners, for at least a week before your procedure, as these can cause surgical complications.

Some vitamins and herbal remedies, such as ginseng, garlic, Ginkgo biloba, fish oil or others, may also keep your blood from clotting normally, interact with other medications or cause other complications. Discuss the types of dietary supplements you take with your doctor before your surgery.

If you have diabetes, talk with your doctor about altering your diabetes medication during the fasting period. Usually you won't take oral diabetes medication the morning of your surgery, and if you take insulin your doctor may recommend a reduced dose.

If you have sleep apnea, discuss your condition with your doctor. The anesthesiologist or anesthetist will need to carefully watch and manage your breathing during and after your surgery.

What you can expect Risks
References
  1. Falk SA, et al. Overview of anesthesia and anesthetic choices. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Sept. 28, 2012.
  2. Brunton LL, et al. Goodman & Gilman's the Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. 12th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2011. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=28. Accessed Sept. 28, 2012.
  3. Katzung BG, et al. Basic & Clinical Pharmacology. 12th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=723. Accessed Sept. 28, 2012.
  4. Miller RD, et al. Miller's Anesthesia. 7th ed. Orlando, Fla.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06959-8..00001-7&isbn=978-0-443-06959-8&uniqId=371665259-3. Accessed Sept. 28, 2012.
  5. Types of anesthesia providers. Lifeline to Modern Medicine. http://www.lifelinetomodernmedicine.com/Who-Is-An-Anesthesiologist/Types-of-Anesthesia-Providers.aspx. Accessed Oct. 9, 2012.
  6. Understanding the risks of anesthesia. Lifeline to Modern Medicine. http://www.lifelinetomodernmedicine.com/Anesthesia-Topics/Michigan/Understanding-the-Risks-of-Anesthesia.aspx. Accessed Oct. 9, 2012.
  7. Anesthesia experience. Lifeline to Modern Medicine. http://www.lifelinetomodernmedicine.com/FAQs/anesthesia%20experience.aspx. Accessed Oct. 9, 2012.
  8. Seniors and anesthesia. Lifeline to Modern Medicine. http://www.lifelinetomodernmedicine.com/Anesthesia-Topics/Seniors-and-Anesthesia.aspx. Accessed Oct. 10, 2012.
  9. Anesthesia awareness during surgery. Lifeline to Modern Medicine. http://www.lifelinetomodernmedicine.com/Anesthesia-Topics/Anesthesia-Awareness-During-Surgery.aspx. Accessed Oct. 9, 2012.
  10. Q&A: Anesthesia awareness during surgery. Lifeline to Modern Medicine. http://www.lifelinetomodernmedicine.com/Anesthesia-Topics/QA-Anesthesia-Awareness-During-Surgery.aspx. Accessed Oct. 9, 2012.
  11. Brunicardi FC, ed., et al. Schwartz's Principles of Surgery. 9th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2010. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=50. Accessed Oct. 10, 2012.
  12. Q&A: What you should know before surgery. Lifeline to Modern Medicine. http://www.lifelinetomodernmedicine.com/What-To-Expect/QA-What-You-Should-Know-Before-Surgery.aspx. Accessed Oct. 10, 2012.
  13. Morgan EG, et al. Clinical Anesthesiology. 4th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2006. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceToc.aspx?resourceID=53#276. Accessed Sept. 28, 2012.
  14. Facts about obstructive sleep apnea. Lifeline to Modern Medicine. http://www.lifelinetomodernmedicine.com/Anesthesia-Topics/Facts-About-Obstructive-Sleep-Apnea.aspx. Accessed Oct. 11, 2012.
  15. Bischoff P, et al. Awareness under general anesthesia. Deutsches Ärzteblatt International. 2011;108:1.
  16. Whinney C. Perioperative medication management: General principles and practical applications. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine. 2009;76(suppl):S126.
  17. Omega-3 supplements: An introduction. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/omega3/introduction.htm. Accessed Oct. 18, 2012.
  18. Vretsakis G, et al. Management of intraoperative fluid balance and blood conservation techniques in adult cardiac surgery. The Heart Surgery Forum. 2011;14:E28.
  19. Wilkinson JM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Jan. 2, 2013.
MY00100 Jan. 19, 2013

© 1998-2013 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

  • Reprints
  • Print

  • Share on:

  • Email

Advertisement


Text Size: smaller largerlarger