Does taking ibuprofen interfere with surgery? i took ibuprofen though it was recommended to cease all medications prior to surgery. should the surgery be canceled?

Not : Not necessarily. There are two main reasons doctors ask that you limit your medications prior to surgery. First, if you are undergoing general anesthesia it is preferred that you have an empty stomach. Most of the time taking medications with a sip of water is allowed and you are still considered to have an empty stomach. There are in fact several chronic medications that should be continued even on the morning of a surgery. Second, some medications can interfere with an operation by increasing your risk of bleeding or altering your body's ability to heal properly. This is the case with medications such as aspirin, plavix, coumadin, (warfarin) and nsaids among others. Ibuprofen is an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory). Surgery can be done while patients are on these medications but it can alter risks and should be discussed with your surgeon and anesthesiologist. In this case let your physicians know that you took Ibuprofen and how much you took. They will let you know whether they feel safe proceeding and how it might alter your surgery and healing time.

Bleeding risk!!!!: Ibuprofen, unlike tylenol (acetaminophen) interferes with the clotting mechanism of blood. We generally recommend stopping it atleast a week before surgery. The type of surgery would dictate whether it should be canceled. Please talk to your surgeon about this.