Preparing for Surgery

• Night Before Surgery
• Day of Surgery
• After Surgery
• Managing Pain
• Locations/Contact

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The Night Before Surgery

• Do not eat anything after midnight. We suggest you have a light snack before you go to bed. Do not chew gum or eat hard candy or mints.
  
  
• Do not drink more than (1) one (8) eight-ounce cup of clear fluids up to (4) four hours before you arrive at the surgery facility.
  
  Clear fluids are: water, clear tea, black coffee, clear juice (no pulp), soda, plain Jell-O,® popsicles (without bits of fruit or cream) or Kool-Aid.® No milk products or any type of creamers.
  
  
• Stop drinking any fluids, including water, (4) four hours before you arrive. Except, take your morning medicine as directed.
  
  
• Stop drinking alcohol and don’t smoke.
  
  
• For your child: please follow the special feeding instructions given to you by the nurse who called (as noted in Getting Ready for Surgery).
  
  
• If you get a cold, fever, infection or sore throat, call your surgeon right away.

If your surgery is later in the day, the nurse may change the instructions above.