Why can’t I eat before surgery?

If you’re asked to stop eating before your procedure, it’s likely because of the type of anesthesia your care team plans to use. With some types of anesthesia, there’s a risk of aspiration, which means you’re breathing foreign objects, like food or saliva, into your lungs. This can occur because the anesthesia used in your procedure can impair your body’s ability to stop the contents of your stomach from entering your lungs.