Why should one avoid eating food before surgery?

The doctors often tell you to avoid eating from around midnight the night before your surgery to after your surgery. This is because of what could happen if you have food in your stomach before the surgery. There’s something called “aspiration” that could happen when you’re under anesthesia. Basically, it means you puke, but you puke into your lungs instead of into the toilet or a trashcan. It can be pretty nasty, pretty bad.

Typically, the best time frame for not eating is the eight hours before your surgery. Sometimes, the surgeons will have other instructions for you to follow. A nurse will usually call you the day before your surgery to give you the instructions again, and you should listen to them.