Health. Why is it essential to fast before surgery?

Under general anesthesia, respiratory protective reflexes, such as coughing or swallowing, are inhibited.

If the stomach contains food or liquid, there is a risk that these substances will flow back up into the esophagus and end up in the lungs, a phenomenon called gastric aspiration.

However, gastric fluid is very toxic to the lungs and this can lead to serious complications such as choking, aspiration pneumonia or lung infections .

Avoid digestion

Additionally, the presence of undigested food in the digestive tract can lead to vomiting during or after anesthesia. If this happens, the patient may inhale their vomit, increasing the risk of serious complications.

Finally, fasting prevents you from being in the middle of digestion during surgery. Digestion is a complex process that significantly mobilizes the body, reducing its ability to effectively combat the physiological stresses associated with surgery.

This is why a fasting period of more than six hours is recommended. Adherence to these guidelines before surgery is therefore crucial to ensure patient safety.

What if the operation has to be performed urgently?

If the operation must take place within six hours, the medical team will empty the stomach, using a gastric tube or administering a medication that will cause it to empty. And if the emergency is life-threatening, the anesthesiologist will adapt their protocols, for example, by using very fast-acting muscle relaxants or injecting morphine after intubation to reduce risks.