Yes. Before your surgery date, one of our nurses will call you directly. This is a real conversation, not a recorded reminder or a generic checklist, about your specific health history, your current medications, and exactly what you need to do (and avoid) in the days leading up to your procedure. If something about your situation doesn't fit a standard answer, that's exactly what this call is for.

This instruction is about keeping you safe during anesthesia, not an arbitrary rule. Under anesthesia, your normal reflexes are suppressed, including the ones that would otherwise stop you from choking. If there's food or liquid in your stomach, there's a real risk of it coming back up and being inhaled into your lungs, which can lead to serious complications like pneumonia. This risk exists whether you're going under, fully asleep, or coming out of anesthesia.

• Solid food needs a full eight hours before anesthesia
• Liquids, including coffee, need a full six hours before anesthesia
• Coffee specifically can also increase the chance of nausea once anesthesia begins, so it's best avoided on surgery day unless your care team says otherwise
• Always follow the specific window given to you during your pre-op call, since it can vary based on your procedure

No, and this one surprises a lot of patients. Chewing gum causes your body to start producing gastric juices, the same digestive response triggered by eating, even though you're not actually swallowing anything. That means gum along with anything else simulates eating, carries a similar risk to eating before surgery, it can affect how safely anesthesia can be given. If you have questions about timing, your pre-op call is the right place to ask.

It depends on the medication, so we won't give you a generic printed list, we'll talk it through with you directly. A few common examples:

• GLP-1 medications (for diabetes or weight management) generally need to be stopped at least seven to fourteen days before surgery. The exact timeline depends on why you're taking it and should be confirmed with your primary care provider.
• Blood thinners have no single blanket answer. Whether and when to stop depends on both the specific medication and the procedure you're having. Some patients stop a week or more in advance; others may need to stay on their blood thinner right up until surgery, depending on their underlying condition. Your surgeon and primary care provider will manage this together.

This is exactly the kind of decision that deserves a real conversation with your care team rather than a guess from a generic list.

Completely. Even for routine, outpatient procedures, it's common to feel anxious. For patients who are especially nervous, we're able to offer medication to help you relax before you're brought back for your procedure. You're never expected to just tough it out.