A surgical operation is a set of effects on human tissues, organs, performed by a doctor for the diagnosis, treatment or correction of bodily functions. According to urgency, they are: emergency (in case of urgent need in the name of saving the patient's life), urgent (requiring 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 the operation? Should I refrain from drinking alcohol before surgery? How does alcohol affect anesthesia? Let us consider in more detail.
The danger of alcohol in the postoperative period
Ethyl alcohol weakens the human immune system, which has a negative impact on the effectiveness of the surgeon's intervention. Also, most operations, 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 the occurrence of inflammation and infection in tissues injured by a scalpel, patients are prescribed (for prophylactic purposes) antibiotic therapy, which excludes the possibility of drinking alcohol. Beer is also on the list of prohibited drinks, as it causes fermentation, which slows wound and tissue healing.
After surgical interventions, the immune status decreases, which can provoke an exacerbation of chronic diseases, provoke the appearance of hidden pathologies.
Alcohol after surgery disrupts blood clotting, increasing the risk of life-threatening uncontrolled internal bleeding.
Remember, no matter how much alcohol the patient drinks after anesthesia, depressive processes 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 limitation of the consumption of ethylic beverages is 30 days after the surgical treatment.
Alcohol withdrawal 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 the patient's urine, ECG and blood. In the case of drinking ethyl cocktails, the results become unreliable, which distorts the real clinical picture, can lead to fatal errors in the diagnosis and decision of surgical intervention.
Also, serious serious operations on the myocardium, veins are performed exclusively under anesthesia. If a patient has seriously abused alcohol a few days before the introduction of anesthesia, the effect of the drug may become unpredictable. For example, a standard dose of anesthetic is not enough, as a result, one person can recover before the end of the operation, while others, on the contrary, get too much, an 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 anesthetic agents. 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 lasts another 2. 5 hours after the operation. However, when drinking alcohol, the anesthetic effect of the drug instantly disappears, an acute attack of pain develops, which cannot be muffled 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.
After recovery from anesthesia, the following complications may occur:
- Headaches;
- nausea;
- muscle weakness or tightness;
- discomfort in the throat;
- cloudiness in consciousness;
- drop in blood pressure;
- hallucinogenic delusion.
Why can't you drink alcohol after anesthesia?
Such a combination can lead to the appearance of such critical conditions as anaphylactic shock, nervous disorders. The withdrawal period of anesthetic drugs depends on the type of drug, its dose and the patient's health status. As a rule, the main part leaves the body within a day after the operation, and the rest within 2-3 days.
Rehabilitation after surgical procedures.
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 the healing of "alcoholized" tissues takes longer.
Recommendations after surgery:
- After abdominal surgery, you should not eat for the first 2-3 days. You can get up in a day, gradually increasing the load, walking more. This will speed up the return of the body to its usual environment. Alcohol should not be drunk for another month.
- After coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG), eliminate bad habits, measure blood pressure regularly, count the pulse, determine the presence of edema, do not create a load on the heart (do not go to the sauna, do not plan long walks, abandon intense physical exertion). CABG does not cure people with coronary heart disease, it only serves as symptomatic therapy. The bypass patient must 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, which involves the complete replacement of diseased cartilage and bones with artificial material, the patient is given intravenous solutions, antibiotics to maintain the water-salt balance, and painkillers. To avoid a negative reaction of the body, alcoholic beverages are prohibited. After endoprosthesis, physiotherapy exercises are prescribed, which excludes 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, you should not drink alcohol 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, interacting with ethanol, increase the risk of developing gastrointestinal bleeding and ulcers. Also, 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 and degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs.
After varicocele surgery, the man should go to bed the first day. On the second day, he can begin to move. Walking increases blood flow and prevents constipation. To relieve pain, a cold compress is applied to the sore spot for 15 minutes.
Production
Surgical intervention in any tissue and organ always leads to the appearance of postoperative edema. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited during this period. The fact is that alcohol accelerates blood circulation, which can increase swelling and worsen the condition of fresh spots. Also, ethyl alcohol gives a negative reaction with non-steroidal anesthetic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs. As a result, the body may behave in unusual ways.
The period of abstinence from drinking alcohol before surgery is at least 10 days and after 1 to 6 months. At the same time, in some cases (when the gallbladder is removed), a lifetime ban on the intake of strong drinks is imposed.