Preoperative Fasting for D&C Surgery
You should stop eating solid food 6 hours before your D&C surgery, but you may continue drinking clear liquids (like water, black coffee, or juice without pulp) until 2 hours before the procedure. 1
Solid Food Fasting Requirements
- Stop all solid food intake at least 6 hours before your scheduled surgery time 1
- This 6-hour guideline applies to light meals such as toast with clear liquids 1
- If you consume fried foods, fatty foods, or meat, you need to fast for 8 hours or more because these take longer to digest 1
Clear Liquid Guidelines
- Clear liquids are permitted up to 2 hours before anesthesia 1
- Clear liquids include water, fruit juices without pulp, carbonated beverages, clear tea, and black coffee 1
- Do not consume alcohol as part of your clear liquid intake 1
Why These Guidelines Matter
The American Society of Anesthesiologists established these evidence-based fasting times to minimize the risk of pulmonary aspiration (inhaling stomach contents into your lungs) during anesthesia while avoiding unnecessarily prolonged fasting 1. Studies consistently show that:
- Clear liquids empty from the stomach within 1-2 hours 2
- Solid foods require 6+ hours for gastric emptying 2
- The actual risk of aspiration during elective surgery is extremely low (1.4-6.0 per 100,000 anesthetics) when guidelines are followed 2
Important Caveats
Verify your specific instructions with your surgical team, as they may modify these guidelines if you have: 1
- Diabetes mellitus (which can delay gastric emptying) 1
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease 1
- Previous gastrointestinal surgery 1
- Obesity (though current evidence shows obese patients can follow the same guidelines as non-obese patients) 3
Common Pitfall to Avoid
The outdated "nothing by mouth after midnight" rule is still commonly given but is unnecessarily restrictive 4. This can lead to 12-20 hours of fasting, causing unnecessary discomfort, thirst, dehydration, and anxiety without providing any safety benefit 2, 4. The modern 2-hour clear liquid guideline is both safer and more comfortable 1.