Why patients are advised to not eat anything before surgery?
Patients are strictly advised to refrain from eating for eight to 12 hours before any surgery for their well-being and recovery. "When one receives anaesthesia, their body’s natural reflexes are temporarily paused. If the stomach contains food/liquid, it could come back up and accidentally enter the lungs," said Dr Amit Saraf. This could lead to choking/aspiration pneumonia, he added.