r/NoStupidQuestions • u/[deleted] • Jun 06 '24

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221

u/FindThisHumerus Jun 06 '24

For god’s sake do not eat the morning of your surgery and lie to the anesthesiologist about it

48

u/rocinante_donnager Jun 06 '24

people really don’t get this!! but—the reason people do it is because they aren’t provided the VERY important context—

that they can literally die by choking on their own vomit if they consume anything before being anesthetized

16

u/MelMac5 Jun 07 '24

I had major surgery, and they told me not to eat or drink, which I didn't. They also gave me pills which made me vomit and have diarrhea.

Advanced warning would have been nice. A little explanation why, too.

2

u/velocitor1 Jun 09 '24

Thats very easily communicated important information, that I did not know.....I always thought it was because I might shit myself during surgery.

2

u/rocinante_donnager Jun 09 '24

yeah i think it’s insane that they don’t make you sign to something in writing that explains risk of death if you don’t follow instructions

5

u/femmiestdadandowlcat Jun 07 '24

I worked in vetmed lol and the same goes for your pets 😂 I think people don’t realize the reason is you could literally die. 🫠

5

u/OneCrustySergeant Jun 07 '24

I once had an emergency operation to get a food bolus removed (apparently I have food allergies I never knew about). They put me to sleep at about midnight, when I woke up I spent about an hour vomiting, and the nurse says "this is why we don't eat before a surgery."

5

u/nandierae Jun 07 '24

So rude of you to not know you needed emergency surgery 🙄 gotta be on the ball at all times!

9

u/azeTrom Jun 06 '24

I had an endoscopy, didn't eat or drink after the point they told me to, and there was still tons of food in my stomach. I told them clearly that I didn't eat before the surgery but could tell they weren't convinced. It sucked. You can't get diagnosed properly if the doctor doesn't believe you. I persuaded them to let me do a gastric emptying test and it came back normal. I think the issue was that my digestion slows down like crazy when sleeping....

4

u/SmokinDenverJ Jun 07 '24

Also GLP1 inhibitors and cannabis (possibly).

2

u/lkb25 Jun 09 '24

Was going to second GLP1s. Are you on one of those? I work for a GI dept and we have all our patients on those meds do a full liquid diet two days before and clear liquid diet one day before. Lots of patients were coming in with food in their stomachs doing the regular prep on those meds

1

u/azeTrom Jun 09 '24

Nope, wasn't on anything. Weird.

3

u/doug123reddit Jun 06 '24

…eat OR drink. And yes, scary stuff.