Eating and Drinking Restrictions Before Surgery
On the day before surgery, you'll need to carefully follow any instructions your child's surgeon's office gave you at her preoperative appointment. These directions will include information about anesthesia and any eating or drinking restrictions for your child. It will also tell you if your child should take any of her usual medications.
For procedures at one of our two hospitals
If your child is having surgery at Philadelphia Campus, please consult the Philadelphia Campus pre-procedure instructions: English | Spanish (en español).
If your child is having surgery at King of Prussia Campus, please consult the Middleman Family Pavilion at King of Prussia pre-procedure instructions: English
For procedures at CHOP’s Ambulatory Surgery Centers
If your child’s procedure is at Brandywine Valley, Bucks County or Voorhees please read the important information associated with each center about your arrival time and rules for eating and drinking before the procedure. Directions to the surgical site are also included.
- Brandywine Valley pre-procedure instructions: English
- Bucks County pre-procedure instructions: English
- Voorhees pre-procedure instructions: English
CHOP has helpful information about preparing your child for their procedure.
If you have any questions at all about your child's eating and drinking restrictions, call your child's doctor immediately. If your child doesn't properly follow the preparation steps, she may experience complications during the surgery, or the surgery may have to be postponed.
General eating and drinking restrictions
No food, drink, milk, candy or gum is permitted after 11 p.m. the evening before the procedure, except:
Clear liquids
- Surgery at Main Hospital: Clear liquids are allowed up until your arrival time
- Surgery at Middleman Family Pavilion or an Ambulatory Surgery Center: Clear liquids are allowed up until 30 minutes before arrival
Your child may drink only the clear liquids listed here:
- Water
- Pedialyte®
- Clear Apple juice
- Clear White Grape juice
- Sports drinks (such as GatoradeTM or PoweradeTM). Sports drinks that are protein shakes are not allowed
Breast milk
- Surgery at Main Hospital: Breast milk is allowed up until 2 hours before your arrival time
- Surgery at Middleman Family Pavilion or an Ambulatory Surgery Center: Breast milk is allowed up until 3 hours before your arrival time
Formula
DO NOT add cereal to formula. DO NOT use formula that has cereal already added.
Surgery at Main Hospital:
- Younger than 6 months old: Formula is allowed up to 3 hours before your arrival time
- 6 to 12 months old: Formula is allowed up to 5 hours before your arrival time
- Older than 12 months: Formula is allowed until 11 p.m. the night before the procedure
Surgery at Middleman Familiy Pavilion:
- Younger than 6 months old: Formula is allowed up to 3 hours before your arrival time
- 6 to 12 months old: Formula is allowed up to 6 hours before your arrival time
- Older than 12 months: Formula is allowed until 11 p.m. the night before the procedure
Surgery at an Ambulatory Surgery Center:
- 6 to 12 months old: Formula is allowed up to 6 hours before your arrival time
- Older than 12 months: Formula is allowed until 11 p.m. the night before the procedure
Medicines
Please do not give your child MOTRIN, ibuprofen, ADVIL, naproxyn, or ALEVE for three days before surgery. TYLENOL is fine up until and including the day of surgery. If your child develops any symptoms of illness (fever, cough, runny nose, vomiting, diarrhea) on the day of surgery, please call 267-425-4700.
Date: December 2021