Dr Peter Holt of Rockefeller University in New York says that people who undergo Gastric Bypass surgery are likely to have large quantities of alcohol in the blood even if they drink little, which takes a long time to wear off. He also claims that bacteria in parts of the gut cut off in gastric bypasses can produce pure alcohol.
He said: “Patients undergoing Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass surgery should be warned that they can experience a difference in their capacity to handle alcohol. If they are driving they should not be drinking any alcohol at all”. He said that patients should be very concerned about high alcohol concentrations in breathalyser tests which may be out of proportion to intake, as alcohol is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream through the gut and there is a significant delay in return to normal levels.
In addition, bacteria accumulating in stagnant loops of intestine can produce ethanol from ingested carbohydrate substrates.
The Telegraph
NOSC View
Yet another drawback to Gastric Bypass surgery! There are so many drawbacks that we can’t understand why anyone would put themselves forward for this operation. With Gastric Band surgery and the new incisionless POSE procedure there is no longer a need for the radical and highly invasive Gastric Bypass. Both Gastric Band and POSE (Primary Obesity Surgery Endolumenal) are permanent treatments that do not alter the anatomy of the stomach, do not produce the anti-social side effects of a gastric bypass and do not carry the long term health risks. And you can enjoy an alcoholic drink without the fear of the breathalyser!
