Vascular Resources
These instructions will be the same for all hospitals.
- You must have nothing to eat or drink after midnight. If your procedure time is scheduled for after 12:00 pm, it is okay to have a light breakfast before 6:00 am.
- Any medication you take in the morning is okay to take with a small amount of water.
- You MUST have someone pick you up from the hospital; you will not be able to drive home.
- Pack an overnight bag for observation due to certain procedures.
Medications to HOLD:
- Metformin: Do not take the morning of your procedure
- Insulin: If you are insulin dependent only take 1/2 a dose the morning of your procedure.
- Coumadin: You will need to hold this medication for 3-5 days prior to your procedure.
- Pradaxa: You will need to hold this 2 days prior to your procedure, unless otherwise instructed.
- Xarelto: You will need to hold this 1 day prior to your procedure, unless otherwise instructed.
- Eliquis: You will need to hold this 2 days prior to your procedure, unless otherwise instructed.
Our office will contact you 1-2 days prior to the procedure with specific instructions.
Typically, patients are told to remain NPO (nothing to eat/drink) after midnight before the procedure. We encourage patients to take their blood pressure medications with a SMALL sip of WATER the morning of the procedure.
If you take insulin please be aware that you will receive special instructions for the day of surgery.
If you take metformin/medications containing metformin or warfarin (Coumadin), you will be instructed to stop those medications for 3-5 days before the procedure.
Please make sure to clarify this with office staff as circumstances can change with each individual. Shower the day of/night before surgery. Feel free to bring a snack/fluids to enjoy after the procedure. Make sure you can recover for 5 days post procedure. Most patients will require 5 days of light activity (no heavy lifting/bending/squatting).