The more alcohol you drink, the higher your risk of complications with your surgery.
The UK Government recommends drinking no more than 14 units of alcohol a week. It’s also important to aim for alcohol free days as well.
The NHS recommends spreading these units over 3 days or more and aim for some drink-free days as well.
Regularly drinking more alcohol than this before surgery can lead to longer recovery times, a higher risk of complications, and more.
Do you know how much you drink? This table shows how many units are in these common drinks;
| Type | Units |
| Single spirit measure (25mls 40%) | 1 unit |
| Alcopop (275mls 5%) | 1-1.5 units |
| Small glass of wine (175mls 12%) | 2.1 units |
| Large glass of wine (250mls 12%) | 3 units |
| Bottle of beer (330mls 5%) | 1.7 units |
| Can of beer (440mls 5%) | 2 units |
| Pint of normal lager/beer/cider (569mls 3.6%) | 2 units |
| Pint of higher strength lager/beer/cider (569mls 5.2%) | 3 units |
In the weeks before your operation, reducing how much you drink will reduce your risk. The goal is to drink less than 14 units a week. Ideally, you will achieve this at least 6-8 weeks before your surgery, for the maximum benefit.
In the weeks before your operation drinking more than three drinks at a time can;
- reduce your body’s ability to fight infection. This can make your hospital stay and recovery longer.
- weaken your heart. This makes it harder for oxygen to get around your body. Reducing how much alcohol you drink before surgery can improve your heart’s ability to send oxygen through your body. It also improves wound healing.
- make it harder for your liver to manage the medicines and pain relief used during your surgery. Reducing the amount of alcohol you drink helps your liver. It also reduces the risk of side effects from these medicines like nausea and vomiting.
Top tips for cutting down on drinking:
- Set limits before drinking and stick to them
- Set yourself a budget for alcohol
- Take it one day at a time
- Let your friends and family know – they are likely to support you!
- Drink smaller measures or lower alcohol alternatives
- Make every other drink a glass of water
- Try to have alcohol-free days every week
- Try to reduce your drinking to less than 14 units a week at least 6-8 weeks before your surgery.
Resources
- Alcohol Change UK unit calculator – find out how many units are in a drink so you can choose a lower unit alternative.
- Try Dry app – download the app to track your drinking and set personalised goals for cutting down
- Get alcohol support – find local support if you don’t think you can reduce your drinking before your operation.