Alcohol Has Stronger Impact on Gastric Bypass Patients

Researchers at Stanford University (CA, USA) performed a case-crossover study involving metabolism tests by measuring breath alcohol content (BAC) in 19 morbidly obese patients before their RYGB operation. The patient's BAC was measured every 5 minutes after drinking 140 milliliters of red wine to determine peak BAC and time until sober; the tests were repeated again at three and six months postoperatively. The patients also reported the symptoms experienced while intoxicated and answered a questionnaire about their drinking habits.

The results showed that the peak BAC in patients after RYGB was considerably higher at 3 months (0.059%) and 6 months (0.088%) postoperatively than matched preoperative levels (0.024%). The patients also took considerably more time to return to sober at 3 months (61 minutes) and 6 months (88 minutes) than preoperatively (49 minutes). Postoperative intoxication was associated with lower levels of diaphoresis, flushing, and hyperactivity, and higher levels of dizziness, warmth, and double vision. Postoperative patients reported drinking considerably less alcohol, fewer preferred beer, and more preferred wine than before surgery. The study was published in the February 2011 issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

"We want to raise the potential concern for RYGB patients who continue to drink after their operation because they may tend to overuse alcohol, which can, in turn, lead to weight regain, nutritional deficiencies, and/or alcohol dependence,” said senior author associate professor of surgery John Morton, MD, MPH, of the section of minimally invasive and bariatric surgery. "Our recommendation to all of our RYGB patients is never drink and drive and to limit consumption of alcohol to one standard drink for every two hours. The key to safeguarding bariatric surgery benefits is to provide appropriate patient education.”

Other studies have found that a few gastric bypass patients undergo an addiction transfer, trading one vice (such as overeating), for another, such as over-consumption of alcohol or drug use. Additionally, patients who display binge-eating behavior prior to their surgery have the highest likelihood of postoperative alcoholism.

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