Preparing for your operation

Admission to hospital

Most of our patients will be admitted to hospital on the day of their surgery. You will receive a letter or a phone call from the surgical admission team to inform you about your admission.

Fasting

You will be advised as to what time you need to fast from. Fasting means you will not be able to have anything to eat or drink after a specific time.

For most patients food needs to be stopped at 12 midnight the day before your operation, this includes:

• mints
• chewing gum
• boiled sweets
• tea/coffee with or without milk, etc.

For most patients water can be drunk until 6am the morning of your surgery.

Please read your admission letter as this will tell you what time to fast from. If you are not sure, please contact your specialist nurse on the telephone numbers at the end of this booklet.

Nutrition 

A key aspect of the Enhanced Recovery Programme is high energy carbohydrate drinks given to you before and after your operation. These will give you the much needed energy you need to help you recover.

You will be given six bottles of the carbohydrate energy drinks to have at home to provide you with extra calories before your surgery.

When to take the Pre-Op carbohydrate drinks: