Issues for Surgery |
Risk of lactic acidosis if continued (see Further Information). Potential for hypoglycaemia when taken concomitantly with other blood glucose lowering medicines and continued during nil by mouth period. Combination products containing Canagliflozin, Dapagliflozin or Empagliflozin – risk of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), volume depletion, hypotension and / or electrolyte disturbances if continued (see Further Information). |
Advice in the Perioperative period |
EXCEPT:
Morning or Afternoon Surgery
This advice should also be followed for: -
For combination products containing canagliflozin (Vokanamet®), dapagliflozin (Xigduo®) or empagliflozin (Synjardy®) - see Sodium Glucose Co-transporter 2 (SGLT-2) monograph). Consideration should be given to prescribing the components of combination products as separate medicines perioperatively. Patients undergoing Bariatric Surgery Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus not following a LRD: Follow the advice above for Elective Surgery. For information on combination products with Metformin, please refer to the individual monographs as above. Emergency Surgery Perioperative Considerations Ensure emergency treatment of hypoglycaemia is prescribed i.e. Glucogel® and 20% dextrose. Rapid acting insulin should also be prescribed1, 2. Post-operative Advice
Combination Products Patients undergoing Bariatric Surgery Providing renal function is stable metformin can be restarted from the third day post-operatively; however, if metformin is to continue, MR/SR formulations should be switched to immediate-release formulations (if tolerated) which are more appropriate to facilitate absorption and the dose may need to be reduced as bioavailability will increase following gastric bypass surgery3. Blood glucose should be monitored until eating habits and food intake stabilises3. Patients should have their need for ongoing pharmacological management of their diabetes reviewed by their General Practitioner / Bariatric Surgical Team. For combination products containing metformin, please refer to individual monographs. Patients taking metformin for PCOS may also continue it post-operatively. |
Interaction(s) with Common Anaesthetic Agents |
Hypotension |
Interaction(s) with other Common Medicines used in the Perioperative Period |
Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) Hypotension |
Further Information |
It should be noted that most manufacturers advise that metformin / metformin-containing products should be discontinued for all patients at the time of surgery under general, spinal or epidural anaesthesia, including those patient receiving iodinated contrast agents; and restarted no earlier than 48 hours after on resumption of oral nutrition and where renal function has been checked and is stable7, 8, 9. However, current national guidance does not support this general restriction in patients with an eGFR > 60ml/min/1.73m2 and the advice above should be followed1, 10. DKA, Volume Depletion, Hypotension and / or Electrolyte Imbalance VRIII Use of VRIII is not indicated for patients taking metformin for PCOS. Liver Reduction Diet (LRD) |
References |
|