Question:
Do all doctors do a bowel prep?

I am having surgery this week and the doctor does not have a bowel prep?I read that many use a bowel prep. Anyone out there who didn't have one and how did you do and what did you eat the two days prior to surgery.    — Nancy C. (posted on January 21, 2001)

January 21, 2001
No, we did nothing. Nothing after midnight. My doc's been doing it for a few years, since 1963, so maybe that makes a difference?
   — vitalady

January 27, 2001
No, it just depends on the Dr. My sister in law had the surgery 9 months ago and she was on such a regimented program. She had to drink a gallon of go lytely, which is worse than the surgery. My Dr. did not feel I needed to go through that. He just had me on clear liquids 24 hours prior. All Dr.'s are different. I worked for a couple of Dr.'s and it depends, some are really "anal" about you being completely cleaned out, because they don't want to deal with it. others only care that their patients are comfortable.
   — Kimberly A.

April 19, 2001
I was put on clear liquids 36 hours proir to surgery, then the day before my surgery I had to drink two bottles of magnesium citrate. The citrate is horrid, it took me a long time to be able to choke it down. Finally I went back to the store and got the Cheery flavor instead of the lemon. 2 ounces of the cherry flavored Citrate blended with 4 cranbery jiuce ice cubes makes sort of a smoothie that is highly tolerable.
   — Kristen V.