Surgery scheduled for 11a: can I have some black coffee & water in the morning? Will water really cause a problem hours later?

The simple answer to this question is to follow your surgeons instructions exactly, or risk having the surgery cancelled. Different surgeons and anesthesiologists have different theories on this question, but it all boils down to what your doctors want you to do.

There is controversy as to when people should begin fasting and abstaining from water the morning of surgery, but coffee is a bad idea. The rationale for not eating or drinking 8 hours before surgery is to ensure your stomach is empty and is not stimulated to produce acid and digestive enzymes. During anesthesia, if you vomit from nauseousness, aspiration pneumonia or worse can happen. A sip of water in the am is not a deal-breaker, but coffee would be because it stimulates too much acidity. Insofar as antibiotics are concerned, an intravenous dose just before surgery is the norm, rather than taking an oral antibiotic. Hope this helps! Dr Joseph

Most anesthesiologists recommend that you only have small sips of water, if needed, to take pills prior to surgery. The concern is that, if you have food or liquid in your stomach while under anesthesia, it could come up your esophagus and go down into your lungs.  If that were to happen, it could potentially be life threatening. 

You need to discuss this with your surgeon.  This is not an overly simple topic, even though it may seem that way.  Most anesthesiologists would recommend no eating solids 8 hours before surgery and water within a couple of hours, but there are several caveats (diabetics stomaches often do not empty as quickly, etc).  They will be looking after your best interest and will postpone your case if their instructions are not followed.  The main reason is that you could reflux your stomach contents during anesthesia induction (this could include stomach acids and bile in additiion to whatever you injested) and this could enter your lungs since your normal reflexive/protective mechanisms are supressed by the anesthesia.  This can be very dangerous.  Listen to your surgeon.  Occasionally, the "NPO after midnight" is just a habit and exceptions can be made (maybe NPO after 3AM for someone having an 11AM surgery).  But follow your surgeon's instructions.  He may have reasons that are not initially obvious.  Similarly follow all his post operative instructions.

Hi I think the best course of action here is to be conservative and not have anything the morning of surgery. Be sure to discuss with your anesthesiologist and surgeon, but there is no sense in increasing the chances of aspiration of stomach contents during anesthesia induction if you are scheduled for elective surgery, by drinking the morning of your operation. Aspiration can result in pneumonia and other complications which can be serious in rare cases.