Are there medications I need to stop taking before surgery?

Most medications may be taken up to the day of surgery. If you are currently taking an anti-inflammatory medication, this should be discontinued two weeks prior to surgery unless you are instructed otherwise by your physician. These medications tend to act as blood thinners and this is the reason for recommending discontinuing them.

Blood thinning medications such as Coumadin or aspirin are also discontinued prior to surgery. However, the exact times of discontinuing these medications are made on an individualized basis and should be checked with your personal physician for the correct method regarding this.