Anesthesiologist Questions Anesthesiologist

Can you drink alcohol the day before anesthesia?

I will have surgery under general anesthesia tomorrow. I wonder if I can drink alcohol the day before anesthesia?

3 Answers

The best way to view what you should do prior to undergoing anesthesia is this. You need to be in your best physical condition (medically optimized) because anesthesia and surgery can potentially be an extreme stress on your body. Though surgery usually goes just fine, if an unforeseen complication results in extreme measures to get you through the procedure, it is absolutely in your best interest to be physically optimized. Even the most benign procedures can lead to complications so don't get plastered the night before but a glass of wine or a beer is probably fine.
Yes, just don't get tanked
I would recommend not drinking the day before your procedure. Consumption of alcohol will disturb the environment of your stomach and esophagus, specifically increasing the acidity and disturbing the lining of the upper GI tract.