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BOWEL PREPARATION FOR MAJOR ABDOMINAL SURGERY FOR PATIENTS AT THE LONDON COLORECTAL CLINIC

 

Please follow these instructions carefully:

If you have an OPERATION IN THE MORNING, please follow the instructions below. On the day before your surgery the following must be done at the following times:

 

  • 6:30am to 8am - Eat a light breakfast – for example a slice of toast, hot beverage without milk or fruit squash

  • 12:00 midday - Take your 1st sachet of CitraFleet or Picolax. Empty the contents of one sachet of CitraFleet or Picolax.into a cup of cold tap water and stir until the particles are completely dissolved. Drink the solution. It is important that you drink plenty of fluids in between taking the sachets.

  • 15:00 (3pm) - Drink a bowl of clear soup. This must not contain solids within it.
  • 18:30 (6.30pm) - Take your 2nd sachet of CitraFleet or Picolax. Drink plenty of clear fluids until 4 hours before your surgery the following day.


If you have an OPERATION IN THE AFTERNOON, please follow the instructions below. On the day before your surgery the following must be done at the following times:

 

  • A very light breakfast may be taken i.e. tea without milk and a slice of white toast.

  • 12:00 midday drink a bowel of clear soup. This must not contain solids within it.

  • 18:00 (6pm) - Take your 1st sachet of CitraFleet or Picolax. Empty the contents of one sachet of CitraFleet into a cup of cold tap water and stir until the particles are completely dissolved. Drink the solution. It is important that you drink plenty of fluids in between taking the sachets.

  • 06:00 (6am) on the actual day of your surgery take the 2nd sachet of CitraFleet or Picolax. Drink plenty of clear fluids until 4 hours before your surgery.

 

Handy hints.

  • If you feel sick from drinking the CitraFleet or Picolax, try drinking the solution at a slightly slower rate.

  • You can drink clear soup, lucozade, tea or coffee without milk, lemonade, Bovril, tonic water, soda water, fruit squash but not blackcurrant juice.

  • Forbidden fluids to take include tomato juice, orange juice, grapefruit juice, consommé, jelly, milk or any drinks containing milk.
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