Metal Mouth Message Board

I am pondering the thought as I am reading when in USA it states no food or drink for 6 -8 hrs prior to surgery while some usa states and foreign countries its safe to drink clear liquid like tea apple juice up to 2 hrs pror the procedure so then I wonder whats the difference and have any of u ended up with iv sedation nonly drank 2 hrs before the procedure

I was not allowed any food of drink, even water, 12 hours before surgery.

As far as I know, the reason they don't want you to eat or drink anything is to prevent vomiting after (or maybe even during) surgery.

I think this is going to depend a lot on the hospital's policy. Accepted wisdom seems to vary a lot from country to country, and even region to region. One hospital may believe that fewer patients experience nausea after surgery if they don't eat or drink anything for 8 hours prior, while another hospital might believe that the instance of nausea isn't effected if patients are allowed water up to 2 hours prior.

It may also be possible that different hospitals tend to use different drugs in the IV sedation. Those drugs may be more or less prone to making a person nauseated. The kind of surgery you're having and whether or not you're intubated might have something to do with the policy too.

(*Side Note* While you might think anesthesia is one drug, 'Anesthesia' isn't a drug at all! According to Wikipedia it's "The condition of having sensation (including the feeling of pain) blocked or temporarily taken away". Anesthesiologists use a combination of pain blockers, memory blockers, sedatives, and muscle relaxers, (and sometimes others) to achieve the correct effect. It's a highly personalized ocean based on your own vital signs and response to the drugs they administer.)

Anyway, the hospital will tell you what to do. I wouldn't worry too much about it either way. You'll be allowed to eat/drink again eventually, I promise!

I had IV sedation for my SARPE surgery and was told not to eat or drink ANYTHING (not even water) for at least 8 hours before.