According to a report released by King et at. (2012), the prevalence of Alcohol Use Disorders is more rampant with bariatric surgery patients. Bariatric surgery also known as weight-loss surgery is normally done to obese patients. The report point out that obesity being on the rise in the United States of America is posing a challenge to health care providers. Healthcare providers are considering bariatric surgery to be the only effective and long-term solution left to mitigate the problem. In their report, King et al. (2012) have not overlooked the possibilities of health risks with regards to these surgical procedures.
Although without enough prospective data to back the assumption that bariatric surgery may increase a patient’s risk to suffer from Alcohol Use Disorders, King et al have presented their case in very logical arguments. It is obviously not all of the bariatric surgery procedures that have a negative impact on alcohol users. However, some procedures have been found to completely alter the pharmacokinetics of alcohol (King et at., 2012). With procedures such as the RYGB and the sleeve gastrostomy, pharmacokinetics of alcohol is significantly altered.
According to the report, after surgery patients reach the peak alcoholic level faster compared to before undergoing a bariatric surgery. A different way of looking at its effect is the fact that after a bariatric surgery has been done on a patient; they seem to take more time to sober up than they would before the surgery. This therefore means that patients who have had a bariatric surgery are more sensitive to alcohol compared to those who have not.
The report’s authenticity is emphasized by the submission of written consents from all the participants in this research. The research presents remarkable evidence through data that shows its results. Throughout the entire report it is evident how extensive and immense the research was carried out. Bariatric surgery is more of a health remedy for obese people than it is for cosmetic reasons. This is a method used to increase an individual’s life time. Through this surgery, obese people are able to loose remarkable weight that would otherwise be hazardous to their health.
Going by the argument tabled by this report, it is critical to check into the far reaching effects of bariatric surgery on patients who are alcoholic. Individuals who suffer from Alcohol Use Disorders ‘AUD’ take excess alcohol. Abuse of alcohol is the use and drinking patterns that has recurrent and unpleasant consequences to an individual. Alcoholism is basically dependency on alcohol where an individual no longer has control over his or her alcohol use. This group of people cannot really stop or control their desire to take alcohol.
Bariatric surgery has come as an aid and a long-term solution for people suffering from obese situations. Nonetheless, this held true, the problems and consequences posed by alcohol use disorders are too much to handle for victims. Having health procedures that threatens or tends to increase the effects of AUDs is quite disturbing. Although bariatric surgery is a remedy for health problems that come along with obesity, it poses a threat to drunkards and increases risks of alcohol use disorders (King et at., 2012).
References
King, W., C., Chen, J., Mitchel, J., E., Kalarchian, M., E., Steffen, K., J., Engel, S., G., Courcolas, A., P., Pories, W., J. & Yanovski, S., Z. (2012). Prevalence of Alcohol Use Disorders before and After Bariatric Surgery. American Medical Association. 307(23), 2516-2525.