Should you pause fish oil before surgery?

If you have surgery coming up and take a daily fish oil, you have probably wondered whether to stop. Here is the general picture — and the one rule that overrides everything.

Follow your surgeon's instructions — full stop

This is general education, not medical advice. Surgical teams give patients a specific pre-operation list of what to pause and when. That instruction is the only one that matters for you. If you have not been given one, ask for it.

Why omega-3 comes up before surgery

At higher doses, omega-3 has been observed to mildly influence how readily blood clots — the same property discussed in heart research. Around surgery, teams are cautious about anything that could affect bleeding, which is why supplements often appear on the "pause" list alongside certain medicines.

What teams commonly ask

• Many surgeons ask patients to stop fish oil and similar supplements roughly one to two weeks before — but the exact window varies by procedure and surgeon.
• Tell the team everything you take, including "natural" supplements.
• Do not guess the timing — get it from your own surgeon or anaesthetist.

After surgery

When to resume is also the team's call — usually once they are satisfied that healing and bleeding risk have settled. Ask at your follow-up rather than restarting on your own.

A two-minute mention to your surgical team removes all the guesswork. Write the list of what you take, and hand it over.