Bowel Prep Before Surgery
Surgery Bowel Preparation
Avoid eating high-fiber foods and fiber supplements, and discontinue any iron supplements 5 days prior to your surgery.
Four Dulcolax laxative tablets
MiraLAX Powder, 238-gram bottle (14-day bottle)
64 oz of Gatorade or Powerade. No red, purple, or orange colors — any other color is fine. Diabetics may use a low-calorie Gatorade or similar liquid.
You may eat a regular dinner, but stop eating solids after 7:00 PM. Thereafter, continue to drink clear liquids only.
- This means liquids you can see through (e.g., water, apple juice, Gatorade, tea, etc.)
- Coffee is okay.
- No dairy or pulp products.
Do not eat any solid foods until after your surgery. One of the most important aspects of a successful prep is to consume plenty of fluids the day before surgery. Restrict your diet to clear liquids only — liquids can be taken without restriction.
Mix the entire 238-gram bottle of MiraLAX with 2 quarts of Gatorade in a large pitcher. Stir and chill.
Take all 4 Dulcolax tablets.
About one hour after taking the Dulcolax tablets, start drinking half of the chilled MiraLAX solution — about four 8-ounce glasses (32 oz total) over 2 hours, roughly one glass every 15–30 minutes. Continue drinking water to stay hydrated.
Drink the remaining MiraLAX solution over the next hour. Be sure to finish the solution. You may continue drinking water until midnight, or as instructed by your pre-op nurse.
Take 2 tablets of Neomycin and 1 tablet of Metronidazole with a clear liquid at each of these three times.
Comfort tip: You may apply zinc oxide, Vaseline, aloe wipes, or petroleum jelly to the anal area to prevent irritation. Baby wipes or medicated Tucks may also help.