Before Surgery

[Rerun]

Why can't we eat or drink anything after mid-night before a surgery.  This goes for a surgery at 7AM and one at 4PM.  That is stupid.  Why can't they say "nothing to eat or drink 8 hours prior to surgery"?  Do they think we can't do the math?   

[hyperlite]

I think they say not to eat anything after mid-night before surgery because of digestion...If you eat something and then go to bed, your "rest and digest" (parasympathetic) system kicks in and begins digesting your food. So if you have surgery in the morning all of the food will have been digested by then and theres no concern about vomitting during surgery. Now if your surgery is at 4 PM and you were to have a meal in the morning, well for the rest of the day until you have surgery you could be moving around and active, well this would turn on your "fight or flight" (sympathetic) system, and could slow down digestion (less blood flow to the gut, so slower digestion)...this means that by 4 PM it could be possible that your meal has not been fully digested, and therefore vomitting during surgery could be a problem. So i think the reason they say not to eat after midnight, is so that you have that "sleep" to digest your food...

Now dont quote me on this, because Its just a guess haha

[Panda_9]

If we are booked in for surgery in the afternoon we are aloud a light breakfast at around 7am. Tea/coffee and toast is the general light breakfast. I guess each place is different.

[Bear]

I don't think there _is_ such a thing as a "light breakfast" in the U.S., Amber 
All those doughnuts, flapjacks & maple syrup, ham and eggs...best to make em stop eating the
day previous, eh??   Heheh, just kiddin' 

[ginger cookie]

Personally,I would eat a light breakfast and just stay npo 8 hrs. prior. A lot of surgeons are getting in tune to that,too. I would lie through my teeth and say, "Oh, no Dr. Surgeon-master-of the -universe, I haven't eaten since midnight."
If you haven't digested a light meal in 8 hrs time, you've got bigger problems than dialysis.
Just a personal opinion, best wishes on your surgery.