There are several precautions to take when preparing for surgery. One includes not eating or drinking anything the night before, but what’s the big deal?

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Doctors advise this in order to minimize the risk of aspiration pneumonia, which can be caused by vomiting.

When a patient vomits after going under the knife, the food or acidic contents can come back up an enter into the lungs. That could be catastrophic.

If a patient does happen to consume food, an anesthesiologist will remove anything in the stomach.

Take a look at Business Insider's video below for the full explanation.

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A MARTA operator is seen inside the control room of one of the new MARTA trains during the unveiling of these trains on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez