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 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.

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

• No food from midnight of the night before surgery
• You may have small amounts of clear fluids until 6am on the day of surgery, then nothing by mouth

For an afternoon operation

• No food from 7am on the day of surgery
• You may have small sips of clear fluids until 11am, then nothing by mouth from 11am

Hospital Contact Details

St John’s Hospital

30 Cascade Road, South Hobart TAS 7004 (Day Surgery Entrance off Wentworth Street)
03 6223 7444

Hobart Day Surgery