Surgical intervention is a complex of impacts on tissues, human organs, performed by a doctor for the purpose of diagnosis, treatment or correction of body functions. Depending on the level of urgency, these are: Emergency (when urgently needed in the name of saving the patient's life), Urgent (requires intervention within 48 hours), Scheduled. 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 the operation? Should I avoid alcohol before the operation? 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 operations, including laparoscopy, are performed under anesthesia, which, combined with alcoholic beverages, increases the load on the heart and blood vessels, which can lead to death.
To prevent the occurrence of inflammation and infection in tissues injured by a scalpel, patients are often prescribed (for prophylactic reasons) antibiotic therapy, excluding the possibility of alcohol consumption. Beer is also on the list of banned drinks because it causes fermentation that slows healing of wounds and tissues.
After surgical interventions, the immune status decreases, which can lead to an exacerbation of chronic diseases and cause the appearance of hidden pathologies.
Alcohol after surgery interferes with blood clotting, leading to an increased risk of internal uncontrolled bleeding, which is life-threatening for the patient.
Remember, no matter how much alcohol the patient consumes after anesthesia, the processes of central nervous system depression 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 drinks is 30 days after surgical treatment.
Alcohol abstinence before the operation
As in the case after surgical treatment and before it, alcohol is prohibited. A characteristic feature of the preoperative period is the conduct of the necessary laboratory diagnostics, including the examination of the patient's urine, ECG and blood. When drinking ethyl cocktails, the results become unreliable, which distorts the actual clinical picture and can lead to fatal errors in the diagnosis and decision of surgical intervention.
In addition, severe serious operations on the heart muscle, veins are performed exclusively under anesthesia. If a patient has seriously abused alcohol a few days before induction of anesthesia, the effect of the drug may become unpredictable. For example, a standard dose of anesthetic is not enough, as a result, a person can recover before the end of the operation, while others, on the contrary, get too much of it, an overdose occurs, which leads to inhibition of the respiratory or cardiovascular system.
To avoid the development of the above complications, you should not drink alcohol at least a week before the surgical treatment.
alcohol and narcotics
Anesthesia is the short-term loss of tissue sensitivity under the influence of anesthetics. Such drugs block the transmission of nerve impulses, preventing the signals from reaching the brain, which means the body's response to irritation in the form of pain also fails to appear.
Local anesthesia lasts another 2. 5 hours after the operation. However, when drinking alcohol, the anesthetic effect of the drug immediately disappears, an acute attack of pain develops, which cannot be dampened even with painkillers.
The situation is much more complicated with general anesthesia during abdominal surgeries, when the body needs to be protected from shock and pain.
After recovery from anesthesia, the following complications may occur:
- Headache;
- nausea;
- weakness or tension in the muscles;
- discomfort in the throat;
- clouding in consciousness;
- drop in blood pressure;
- hallucinogenic delusion.
Why is it forbidden to drink alcohol after anesthesia?
Such a combination can lead to the occurrence of such critical conditions as anaphylactic shock, nervous disorders. The waiting time of anesthetics depends on the type of drug, its dose and the patient's state of health. As a rule, the main part leaves the body within a day after the operation, the rest within 2-3 days.
Rehabilitation after surgical interventions
Any surgical intervention leads to a weakening of the protective functions of the body. The rehabilitation period for people who abuse alcohol in everyday life will be more difficult than for patients who adhere to a healthy lifestyle, since "alcoholized" tissues take longer to heal.
Recommendations after the operation:
- You should not eat anything for the first 2-3 days after abdominal surgery. You can get up in one day, gradually increase the load and walk more. This accelerates the body's return to its usual environment. Alcohol should not be drunk for another month.
- After coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), get rid of bad habits, regularly measure blood pressure, count the pulse, determine the presence of edema, do not strain the heart (do not go to the sauna, do not plan long walks, abstain from intense physical exertion). CABG does not cure people with coronary artery disease, it only serves as a symptomatic therapy. The bypass patient must follow a lifelong diet that limits intake of salt, animal fat, alcohol, and carbohydrates. At the same time, the focus in nutrition is on protein-rich, plant-based foods.
- After an operation on the shoulder joint, hip joint, in which the diseased cartilage and bones are completely replaced by artificial material, the patient receives intravenous solutions, antibiotics to maintain the water-salt balance and painkillers. In order to avoid a negative reaction of the body, alcoholic beverages are prohibited. After endoprosthetics, physiotherapeutic exercises are prescribed, which exclude overloading of the operated leg and arm.
- After gallbladder removal, drinking alcohol is prohibited for the rest of your life.
- After eye surgery, cataract removal, no alcohol should be drunk for at least 3 months. During the rehabilitation period, patients are prescribed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that are incompatible with alcohol.
- After spinal surgery, the patient is prescribed painkillers, NSAIDs, which, when interacting with ethanol, increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding and ulcers. In addition, alcohol reduces the effect of drugs that improve microcirculation, overloads the liver, which leads to disruption of metabolic processes in the body, which is fraught with dystrophic, degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs.
After varicocele surgery, a man should lie down on the first day. On the second day you can start moving. Walking improves blood circulation and prevents constipation. A cold compress is placed on the sore spot for 15 minutes to relieve pain.
output
Surgical interventions on tissues and organs always lead to the occurrence of postoperative edema. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited during this time. The fact is that alcohol speeds up blood circulation, which can increase swelling and worsen the condition of fresh stitches. In addition, ethyl alcohol gives a negative reaction with anesthetics, analgesics and anti-inflammatory nonsteroidal drugs. As a result, the body can behave in unusual ways.
Alcohol abstinence before the operation is at least 10 days and after 1 to 6 months. At the same time, in some cases (with removal of the gallbladder) a lifetime ban on taking strong drinks is imposed.