Question:
Did everybody have to do a bowl prep before surgery?
I have been reading alot about pre-ops having to take something to clean out there systems the day before surgery. I am having surgery on 1/10/02 and my surgeon did not tell me to do that. All his nurse said was not to eat after midnight. I would like to hear from post-ops on what their surgeons told them before surgery. Thanks!!! — tracyr (posted on December 31, 2001)
December 31, 2001
No. Thankfully I did'nt have to.
— Danmark
December 31, 2001
It depends on your doctor. I have to take a suppository twice (last time
at 4 AM for 10:30 AM surgery) and followed by an enema each time!! Oh,
boy..what fun!! I'll trade ya!!! Leslie
— Leslie M.
December 31, 2001
I could only have liquids for the 2 days prior to surgery. But I did not
have to have a bowel prep.
— Jane L.
December 31, 2001
My surgeon made me eat a clear liquid diet for the two days prior to
surgery. The night before, I took a lovely bowel cleansing drink that
tasted awful. Boy did it work! My dad was a surgeon and it was always
standard protocol to use a bowel prep before any abdominal surgery. I
would call your surgeon directly and ask them because they will be working
in your bowel and generally want it empty. Good Luck!
— purdue_1993
December 31, 2001
My surgery is next week, and my instructions say to have clear liquids the
day before surgery, 2 tablespoons of Milk of Magnesia at 6pm that evening,
and NOTHING after midnight. During a discussion group at the doctor's
office, the question of pre-op enemas and bowel prep was brought up. We
were told that an enema cleans out the lower end of the bowel, while
they're concerned with the upper portion. Whatever the reason, I'm very
happy with the 'end' result!!
— Linda W.
December 31, 2001
I didn't have to do the prep thing. My surgeon call the morning before
surgery and I asked him about it. He told me I could eat light meals and
nothing after midnight. If I wanted to I could take a laxative but it
really didn't matter, just don't eat after midnight. Neci
— Nynese W.
December 31, 2001
my instructions the day before surgery was...eat whatever u want to for
dinner & nothing after midnight. boy was i ever relieved. lol.
— sheryl titone
December 31, 2001
My instructions were exactly the same as Sheryl's - that's because we had
the same doctor! I'm 16 months post-op and didn't have any problems at all.
Good luck with your upcomig surgery.
— georgiacarol
December 31, 2001
None for me!! just clear liquids the day before.
— Cindee A.
December 31, 2001
I didn't have to do a bowel prep either, thankfully :-) Of course, I had
the same surgeon as Georgia and Sheryl. I'm three weeks post-op and doing
awesome! They told me nothing after midnight the night before. My last
meal was at 4:00 p.m. (didn't want to push it) but my last big gulping
drink of water was at 11:45 p.m.!
— Lisa U.
December 31, 2001
My surgeon did not require a bowel prep but I have been a RN for 23 years
and I chose to do one anyway. Anesthesia shuts down your bowel motility and
I did not want anything in my intestines to clog me up. The day before my
surgery (an open SRVG on Dec. 11th) all I had was Cherrios for breakfast,
then chicken with rice soup for lunch and an early supper. I was hungry but
that was only because I'd been so used to stuffing myself! About 2 PM I
drank a bottle of Magnesium Citrate (you can buy it over the counter, be
sure and refrigerate it and drink it cold and as fast as you can, it's not
bad but it ain't delicious either). It cleans you out really well and
didn't make my stomach cramp. Whatever you do DON'T go tank up on a
"last supper" the night before your surgery. You can do that 3 or
4 days before that if you want (I did.) After my surgery I was
"passing flatus" (medical talk for good ole farting) by day two.
The nurse and/or doc should be listening to your abdomen with a stethescope
for bowel sounds. It's true they are operating on your stomach but remember
what I said about the anesthesia and how it shuts everything down. I'm sure
lots of people do just fine with no bowel prep so if your doc doesn't
require it then it's really your choice. That's my two cents worth!
— esthjb
December 31, 2001
My surgeon didn't require a bowel prep for which I was grateful for. I just
had to have nothing to eat or drink after midnight. I didn't eat anything
heavy after mid afternoon but drank lots of water right up till almost
midnight. I had heard that it helps in setting up IV's if you normally have
trouble with veins. My veins are so hidden that they called in someone from
the anethesia team to set up the IV. She said that drinking that water is a
HUGE help. I still have lousy veins but at least they were able to get the
thing started without major poking around or bruising. What a relief that
was! Good luck!
— Donna L.
December 31, 2001
I did not have one but wish I had.Since I did not have to go to the
bathroom for three days everything sat there all that time and it was mucho
grosso . I had to have a suppository to break up the dam and when it broke
it was real yucky.. Do something to be as clean as possible and you might
circumnavigate the gas issue,which was my worst problem. Good Luck
— Greg S.
January 1, 2002
tracy.
my surgery is on jan 3rd with dr. leitman and no you do not need to do a
bowel prep. don't ask me what the're gonna do but what they told me was to
eat light the day before and then no foods or liquids from midnight on
laura
— LAURA G.
January 1, 2002
I am scheduled for surgery January 3rd for LAP RNY. My surgeon requires a
bowel prep of Fleets Phospho soda, 2 doses..and I have to be on clear
liquids too. I am also an RN and I am surprised that alot of surgeons are
chosing not to do bowel preps, as uncomfortable as they may be to the
patient.Good Luck
— garyzgurl
January 2, 2002
Originally, I was supposed to have surgery on Dec. 17th and my surgeon
required me to take Fleets Phoso-soda the day before and clear liquids all
day until 6:00 p.m.. Which I did . . . yuck. It was working well, until
3:00 p.m. that day, when the Charge Nurse informed me that my surgery was
cancelled because my surgeon was sick. Now I'm scheduled for January 8th,
and have to do the bowel prep all over again. Can't wait. :-( Oh
well, it will be worth it.
— Jean B.
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