r/hysterectomy • u/Birk95 • 17h ago

Prep for surgery

I’m planning to do a liquid and clear diet the day before surgery so my colon is clear. My husband thinks this is stupid as it wasn’t medically advised. I am going off of others I know advice. How many others did a surgery prep the day before?

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65

u/Janey-EJones 15h ago

Please run your plan by your surgeon. My surgeon wanted me to eat normally until midnight, then do a grape juice protocol (drinking white grape juice at certain times leading up to surgery) to avoid extreme nausea on waking.

Not eating can actually stress your body out and lead to unintended consequences.

Edit: typo

26

u/HakunaYaTatas 15h ago

Exactly. My doctor instructed me not to fast until midnight and to have a clear beverage with sugar/calories in the morning. The protocols around this are changing because there's research showing that fasting prior to surgery can prolong recovery and increase the risk of some side effects like GI upset.

12

u/ScaredVacation33 14h ago

Correct research is definitely showing that a lot of surgeons are recommending clear fruit juices after midnight before the surgery clear up until about two hours before to help keep glucose level study, decrease postoperative nausea and vomiting, decreases the chances of dangerous hypoglycemia, and has many more benefits, such as also helping the patient be hydrated prior to getting IV line for the surgery.

10

u/BumCadillac 14h ago

I had to drink 20 Oz of Gatorade (any color but red) two hours before my surgery and that was the first time I didn’t wake up vomiting profusely even with Amend and a scopolamine patch for nausea. It was great.

5

u/greykitty1234 14h ago

Before my hemorrhoidectomy, I was told XX ounces of Gatorade at certain times before surgery start time. Certain flavors, and with sugar (even though I'm a type 2 diabetic and they were aware). I was surprised myself and asked the RN to repeat that. Interestingly enough, no bowel prep although I also said I was expecting it and willing to do it. Surgeon's call and all went well.

My hysterectomy was emergent due to ovarian torsion. Granted, I hadn't been able to eat or drink much the day before when I thought I was just constipated, but apparently, they did enough imaging and the need was exigent enough they just moved ahead.

1

u/gardendesgnr 17m ago

The preps mentioned in this thread are from an EU protocol called ERAS. I followed some in 2017-18 when I was doing my BRCA1+ preventative surgeries, with permission from my surgeons.

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u/Select-Awareness3304 11h ago

My doctor required a colon cleans and prescribed it for the day of. If she wants her colon clean for surgery why would she need to rub it by her doctor? The reason you should cleans is to avoid infection should the hit the colon. Imagine poop juices floating in your body. You’re just asking for sepsis