Fasting means that you do not eat or drink for a period of time.
You must fast before any type of anaesthetic as all procedures may rarely and unexpectedly need to convert to general anaesthesia.
You fast so that the contents of your stomach do not regurgitate up to your throat and cause suffocation, drowning or pneumonia.
You should not eat food or drink any opaque liquid for 6 hours before your procedure. For a morning operating list this is usually from midnight and for an afternoon operating list from 0700. Opaque means if you place the liquid in a clear glass and hold it up to a light you can not see through the liquid.
You should not drink water or any transparent fluid for 2 hours before your procedure. This is usually 1 hour before you leave home for a same day admission to hospital. Transparent means if you place the liquid in a clear glass and hold it up to a light you can see through the liquid.
If you are unsure about fasting you should contact this office.