Eli5: why surgery fasting time is the same for everyone

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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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5 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

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.

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