Minimizing the Length of the Preoperative Fasting Period to Prevent Stress and Dehydration

By reducing the duration of preoperative fasting, patients’ physical and mental stress can be reduced. Furthermore, by preventing preoperative dehydration, stabilization of circulation dynamics during anesthesia becomes possible, thereby increasing safety. By shortening the duration of fasting, the duration of not ingesting carbohydrates is also shortened, suppressing the increase in postoperative insulin resistance. Based on all these findings, shortening of the preoperative fasting period is expected to contribute to the promotion of patient postoperative recovery. In this article, we introduce fasting guidelines of each country and scientific basis and outline about eating and drinking before surgery. And we would like to aim for management to minimize the length of the preoperative fasting period to prevent stress and dehydration in enhanced recovery after surgery.