Surgery is a complex of effects on tissues, human organs, performed by a doctor to diagnose, treat or correct the functions of the body. 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 the complete or partial elimination of 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.
The 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 strain on the heart and blood vessels, which can lead to death.
Often, in order to prevent inflammation and infections in the tissues damaged 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, as it causes fermentation, which slows down the healing of wounds and tissues.
After surgery, the immune status decreases, which can provoke exacerbation of chronic diseases, cause the appearance of hidden pathologies.
Alcohol after surgery disrupts blood clotting, leading to an increased risk of uncontrolled internal bleeding, which is life-threatening for the patient.
Remember that no matter how much alcohol the patient consumes 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 for limiting the consumption of ethyl beverages is 30 days after surgical treatment.
Abstinence from alcohol before surgery
As in the case after surgery, and before it, alcohol is prohibited. A characteristic feature of the preoperative period is the passage of the necessary laboratory diagnosis, including examination of urine, ECG and blood of the patient. When drinking ethyl cocktails, the results become unreliable, which distorts the real clinical picture, can lead to fatal errors in diagnosis and decision for surgery.
In addition, serious severe myocardial surgery, veins are performed exclusively under anesthesia. If the patient has severely abused alcohol for several 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 end of surgery, while others, on the contrary, receive too much of it, an overdose occurs, leading to inhibition of respiratory or cardiovascular system.
To avoid the development of the above complications, you should refrain from drinking alcohol for at least a week before surgery.
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, so the signals do not reach the brain, which means that the body's response to irritation in the form of pain is also absent.
Local anesthesia continues for another 2. 5 hours after surgery. However, when drinking alcohol, the anesthetic effect of the drug disappears immediately, an acute attack of pain develops, which can not be suppressed even with painkillers.
The situation is much more complicated with general anesthesia used for abdominal surgery, when the body needs to be protected from shock and pain.
The following complications may occur after recovery from anesthesia:
- headache;
- nausea;
- muscle weakness or tension;
- throat discomfort;
- blurring of consciousness;
- drop in blood pressure;
- hallucinogenic delusion.
Why can't you drink alcohol after anesthesia?
Such a combination can lead to critical conditions such as anaphylactic shock, nervous disorders. The period of withdrawal of anesthetic drugs depends on the type of drug, its dose and the patient's health. As a rule, the main part leaves the body within one day after the operation, and the rest - within 2-3 days.
Rehabilitation after surgery
Any surgical intervention leads to a weakening of the body's defenses. The rehabilitation period for people who abuse alcohol on a daily basis will be more difficult than for patients who adhere to a healthy lifestyle, as the healing of "alcoholized" tissues takes longer to heal.
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 normal. You should not drink alcohol for another month.
- After coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG), eliminate bad habits, regularly measure blood pressure, count heart rate, determine the presence of edema, do not create stress on the heart (do not go to the sauna, do not plan long walks, give up intense exercise, give up intense exercise). CABG does not treat people with coronary heart disease, it only serves as a symptomatic therapy. The bypass patient should follow a lifelong diet that limits the intake of salt, animal fats, alcohol and carbohydrates. At the same time, the emphasis in nutrition is on protein, plant foods.
- After surgery on the shoulder joint, hip joint, including complete replacement of diseased cartilage and bone with artificial material, the patient is given intravenous solutions, antibiotics to maintain water-salt balance and painkillers. To avoid a negative reaction of the body, alcoholic beverages are prohibited. After endoprosthesis, physiotherapeutic exercises are prescribed, which exclude overloading of the operated leg and arm.
- After removal of the gallbladder, alcohol is prohibited for the rest of his life.
- After eye surgery, cataract removal, you should not drink alcohol for at least 3 months. During the rehabilitation period, patients are prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that are incompatible with alcohol.
- After surgery on the spine, the patient is prescribed painkillers, NSAIDs, which in interaction with ethanol 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 on the first day. On the second day you can start moving. Walking increases blood flow and prevents constipation. To relieve pain, apply a cold compress to the affected area for 15 minutes.
Exit
Surgical intervention on all tissues and organs always leads to 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 stitches. In addition, ethyl alcohol gives a negative reaction with anesthetic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs. As a result, the body may behave in an unusual way.
The period of abstinence from drinking alcohol before surgery is at least 10 days and after - from 1 to 6 months. At the same time, in some cases (when removing the gallbladder) a lifelong ban on strong drinks is required.