Surgery is a complex action on tissues, human organs, performed by a doctor to diagnose, treat or correct bodily functions. Depending on the urgency, they are: emergency (in case of urgent need in the name of saving the patient's life), emergency (requires intervention within 48 hours), planned. By nature: radical, palliative, symptomatic.
The purpose of surgical intervention of the first two types is to completely or partially eliminate the cause of the pathological process, and the third is to alleviate the patient's condition.
Can I drink alcohol 10 days after surgery? Should I refrain from drinking alcohol before surgery? How does alcohol affect anesthesia? Let's take a closer look.
Danger of alcohol in the postoperative period
Ethyl alcohol weakens the human immune system, which negatively affects the effectiveness of the surgeon's intervention. In addition, most surgeries, including laparoscopy, are performed under anesthesia, which in combination with alcoholic beverages increases the load on the heart and blood vessels, which can lead to death.
Often, in order to prevent inflammation and infections in the tissues injured by the scalpel, patients are prescribed (for prophylactic purposes) antibiotic therapy, which excludes the possibility of drinking alcohol. Beer is also on the list of forbidden drinks, because it causes fermentation, which slows down the healing of wounds and tissues.
After surgical interventions, the immune status decreases, which can cause exacerbation of chronic diseases, cause the appearance of hidden pathologies.
Alcohol disrupts blood clotting after surgery, resulting in an increased risk of uncontrolled internal bleeding that is life-threatening.
Remember, no matter how much alcohol a patient drinks after anesthesia, the processes of depression of the central nervous system are always triggered, which can lead to confusion, respiratory failure and hallucinations.
Alcohol thins the walls of blood vessels, destroys liver cells, irritates the mucous membranes of the digestive tract, overloads the heart.
How much can you drink?
The minimum period of limiting the consumption of ethyl drinks is 30 days after the surgical treatment.
Abstinence from alcohol before surgery
As in the case after surgical treatment, and before it, alcohol is prohibited. A characteristic feature of the preoperative period is the passage of the necessary laboratory diagnostics, including the study of urine, ECG and blood of the patient. In the case of drinking ethyl cocktails, the results become unreliable, which distorts the real clinical picture, can lead to fatal errors in diagnosis and decision on surgical intervention.
In addition, serious difficult operations on the myocardium, veins are performed exclusively under anesthesia. If the patient has seriously abused alcohol a few days before the introduction of anesthesia, the effect of the drug may become unpredictable. For example, one standard dose of anesthetic is not enough, as a result, a person can recover before the operation, while others, on the contrary, get too much, overdose occurs, which leads to inhibition of the respiratory or cardiovascular system.
To avoid the development of the above complications, you should refrain from drinking alcohol for at least a week before surgical treatment.
Alcohol and anesthesia
Anesthesia is the loss of tissue sensitivity for a short period of time under the influence of anesthetics. Such drugs block the transmission of nerve impulses, which is why the signals do not reach the brain, which means that the body's response to irritation in the form of pain is absent.
Local anesthesia lasts another 2. 5 hours after surgery. However, when drinking alcohol, the anesthetic effect of the drug instantly disappears, an acute attack of pain develops, which cannot be suppressed even by painkillers.
The situation with general anesthesia used for abdominal operations is much more complicated, when the body needs to be protected from shock and pain.
The following complications may occur after recovery from anesthesia:
- headaches;
- nausea;
- muscle weakness or tension;
- sore throat;
- blurring of consciousness;
- drop in blood pressure;
- hallucinogenic delusion.
Why can't you drink alcohol after anesthesia?
Such a combination can lead to the appearance of critical conditions such as anaphylactic shock, nervous disorders. The withdrawal period of anesthetic depends on the type of drug, its dose and the patient's health condition. As a rule, the main part leaves the body within one day after surgery, and the rest within 2-3 days.
Rehabilitation after surgery
Any surgical intervention leads to a weakening of the body's protective functions. The rehabilitation period for people who abuse alcohol in their daily lives will be more difficult than for patients who adhere to a healthy lifestyle, because the healing of "alcoholic" tissues takes longer.
Recommendations after surgery:
- After abdominal surgery, you should not eat for the first 2-3 days. You can get up in one day, gradually increasing the load, walking more. This will speed up the body's return to its normal environment. Alcohol should not be drunk for another month.
- After coronary bypass surgery (CABG), eliminate bad habits, regularly measure blood pressure, count pulse, determine the presence of edema, do not create a burden on the heart (do not go to the sauna, do not plan long walks, give up intense physical exertion). CABG does not treat people with coronary heart disease, it only serves as a symptomatic therapy. Patients with bypass are required to have a lifelong diet that limits their intake of salt, animal fats, alcohol and carbohydrates. At the same time, the emphasis in the diet is on proteins, plant foods.
- After surgery on the shoulder joint, hip joint, which involves the complete replacement of diseased cartilage and bone with artificial material, the patient is given intravenous solutions, antibiotics to maintain water and salt balance and painkillers. To avoid a negative reaction of the body, alcoholic beverages are prohibited. After endoprosthetics, physiotherapeutic exercises are prescribed that exclude overloading of the operated leg and arm.
- After removing the gallbladder, alcohol is prohibited for the rest of your life.
- After eye surgery, cataract removal, alcohol should not be drunk for at least 3 months. During the rehabilitation period, patients are prescribed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that are not compatible with alcohol.
- After spinal surgery, the patient is prescribed painkillers, NSAIDs, which interact with ethanol to increase the risk of developing gastrointestinal bleeding and ulcers. In addition, alcohol reduces the effect of drugs that improve microcirculation, overloads the liver, leading to disruption of metabolic processes in the body, which is fraught with dystrophic, degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs.
After varicocele surgery, the man should lie down for the first day. You can start moving the next day. Walking increases blood flow and prevents constipation. To relieve pain, a cold compress is applied to the sore spot for 15 minutes.
Exit
Surgical intervention on any tissue and organ always leads to the appearance of postoperative edema. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited during this period. The fact is that alcohol speeds up blood circulation, which can increase swelling, worsen the condition of fresh sutures. In addition, ethyl alcohol gives a negative reaction with anesthetics, analgesics, anti-inflammatory nonsteroidal drugs. As a result, the body may behave in unusual ways.
The period of abstinence from alcohol consumption before the operation is at least 10 days, and after - from 1 to 6 months. At the same time, in some cases (when the gallbladder is removed), a lifelong ban is a ban on drinking strong drinks.