If you are to have your Surgery under General Anaesthetic (at St John’s Hospital or Hobart Day Surgery), please read the following fasting instructions as well as general information.

 

Fasting Instructions

Fasting is important for safe anaesthesia. This is to prevent stomach contents from entering your airways causing lung damage while you are unconscious during anaesthesia. Patients must be fasted prior to their general anaesthetic. This means no food, drinks, lollies or chewing gum for 6 hours before your procedure. Clear fluids (water or clear apple juice) can be taken until 2 hours before your hospital admission.

 

  • Do not drink milk, protein shakes or fruit juice containing pulp. 
  • If you take regular heart and blood pressure medications, you should take these with a small sip of water regardless of fasting.
  • Confirm all other medications with us prior. 
  • A responsible adult must be able to drive you to and from your hospital appointment on the day of surgery, and be able to care for you when you are discharged from hospital. 

 

For a morning operation - admission to hospital before 12pm 

  • No food from 11:59pm the night before surgery
  • You may have small amounts of clear fluids (water or clear apple juice) until 6am on the day of surgery, then nothing by mouth from 6am

 

For an afternoon operation - admission to hospital from 12pm onwards

  • You may have a light breakfast before 6am on the day of surgery (toast and black tea/coffee - avoid milk and dairy products)
  • You may have small sips of clear fluids (water or clear apple juice) until 10am, then nothing by mouth from 10am

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*Special fasting instructions - only if you take Weight Loss medications

Please contact us to discuss if you take any of the following medications:

  • Liraglutide (Victoza or Saxenda)
  • Semaglutide (Ozempic or Wegovy)
  • Dulaglutide (Trulicity)
  • Tirzepatide (Mounjaro)

 

24 hours before your surgery, stop all solid foods and drink clear fluids only 

 

These are OK to Drink

  • Water
  • Black tea or black coffee
  • Clear cordial (eg. lemon)
  • Clear soft drinks (eg. lemonade)
  • Apple juice

 

Do NOT have any of these

  • Any drinks containing milk
  • Yoghurt drinks
  • Ice cream
  • Cloudy fruit juices (eg. prune juice)
  • Fruit juices containing pulp (eg. orange juice)
  • Alcohol
  • Energy drinks
  • Soluble fibre (eg. Benefiber, Metamucil)

 

*Special fasting instructions for a morning operation - admission to hospital before 12pm 

  • Stop all clear fluids at 11:59pm the night before surgery
  • You may have small amounts of water only (half cup per hour) until 6am on the day of surgery, then nothing by mouth from 6am

 

*Special fasting instructions for an afternoon operation - admission to hospital from 12pm onwards

  • Stop all clear fluids at 6am on the day of surgery
  • You may have small amounts of water only (half cup per hour) until 10am on the day of surgery, then nothing by mouth from 10am

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Hospital Contact Details

St John's Hospital

e-Admission: https://calvary.eadmissions.org.au/

30 Cascade Road, South Hobart TAS 7004 (Day Surgery Entrance off Wentworth Street)

03 6223 7444

 

Hobart Day Surgery

e-Admission: https://preadmit.com.au/Patient/hobartdaysurgery

8/10 Warneford St, Hobart TAS 7000

03 6220 7000