Regular Consumption of Alcohol Linked to Higher Post-Surgical Complications

A review of past studies conducted by researchers in Denmark suggests that people who regularly consume more than two drinks of alcohol in a day are more likely to suffer from complications following a surgery.

Researchers led by Marie Eliasen from University of Southern Denmark in Copenhagen analyzed data from over 55 different studies involving pre-operational drinking and post-operational complications that were caused 30 days following a surgery. The study has been published in the Annals of Surgery.

The researchers found that people who drank regularly before their surgeries were twice as more likely to die within a month following the operation compared to others. They were also 80 percent more likely to struggle with breathing, 73 percent more likely to suffer from an infection and 29 percent more likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit within a month after their surgeries.

"Moreover, high alcohol consumption increases the endocrine stress response to surgery which may worsen existing conditions and reduces blood coagulation giving an increased risk of bleedings and slowing down wound healing processes", Eliasen said, adding that heavy drinking also weakened the immune system, making the body more vulnerable to infections.



Source: Medindia