This one is inspired by a post I just saw about why you need to fast (puking, stomach acids in lungs, etc)
But here’s the thing. I have indigestion. I swear I’ve puked up DAYS old food before. If I fast 6/12/24 hours and the food is still there isn’t that still the same risk?
I’ve had lots of surgeries with no problems but.. I feel like this is a problem?
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Because it’s impractical to tell people to fast for days, or to do a full GI workup on every patient before they have surgery. They establish a good rule of thumb that works for 95% (or whatever) of patients. I’m sure there are vast clinical studies that have established how long it takes for food to exit the stomach into the intestines and the fasting recommendations are based on that data.
Some people have a really slow emptying stomach, notably those with diabetes or who are on Ozempic or some of the newer diabetic medications. That may be going on with you.
Mention it to your anesthesiologist the next time you have surgery. They can even ultrasound the stomach to see if it’s still full after a fast.
I am not a doctor, but there’s very little chance you’ve vomited “days’ old food” without some extreme form of gastroparesis. The fasting time that is briefed to a patient is based on the fact that the vast majority of people’s stomachs empty their contents in a reasonably similar amount of time. If your history indicates a disease like gastroparesis or otherwise, I have to imagine your fasting time would be adjusted accordingly.
It just isn’t worth the effort. The risk of aspiration was a major cause of problems during anesthesia and asking people to fast for 12 hours could significantly reduce the problems while not being so onerous that people don’t do it. Nobody cares to try creating a custom fasting schedule for each individual.
The average person’s stomach is empty in 4-6 hours. It’s not necessary to require more than 8-12 hours. Plus, it’s not a good idea for for some people, like diabetics, to go long stretches without eating.
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