Many people enjoy a glass of wine with dinner or to unwind at the end of a long day. However, if you’ve recently had surgery, you may be wondering when it’s safe to drink wine again. The answer depends on a few factors, including the type of surgery you had and any medications you are taking post-operatively. Here’s a closer look at how long you should wait before drinking wine after surgery.
When Can You Drink Wine After Surgery?
As a general rule, you should avoid alcohol for at least 48 hours after having any type of surgery. This allows time for the anesthesia medications to fully wear off and helps avoid potentially dangerous interactions between alcohol and pain medications you may be taking.
For minor surgeries like a colonoscopy or endoscopy where only sedation is used, many doctors say it’s OK to have a drink the same day as long as you feel back to normal. But it’s best to get the green light from your surgeon before picking up a glass.
After major surgeries requiring general anesthesia and a hospital stay, you may need to avoid wine and all alcohol for 7-10 days while your body is healing. Some specific guidelines include:
- Heart surgery – No alcohol for 2 weeks post-op
- Orthopedic surgery – No alcohol for 3-4 weeks after joint replacement or fracture surgery
- Abdominal surgery – No alcohol for 2 weeks after bowel or stomach surgery
- Brain or skull surgery – No alcohol for at least 1 week, sometimes longer
Drinking too soon after major surgery raises your risk of issues like internal bleeding, impaired wound healing, interactions with medications, and development of a wound infection.
Why You Should Avoid Alcohol After Surgery
There are several good reasons why your doctor will likely recommend holding off on alcohol use immediately after having surgery:
Pain Medication Interactions
Most post-surgical patients are prescribed opioid pain medications like codeine, oxycodone, or hydrocodone. Mixing these with alcohol can increase side effects like drowsiness and dizziness and may also dangerously suppress breathing. Never drink when taking narcotic pain relievers after surgery.
Bleeding Risks
Alcohol thins the blood and can interfere with your body’s natural clotting abilities. After surgery, drinking raises your risk of continued bleeding, or developing a hematoma under your incision. Avoid alcohol for at least 48 hours and up to 2 weeks after surgery depending on your specific situation.
Wound Healing
Drinking too soon after surgery may also disrupt normal wound healing. Alcohol dehydrates the body, reduces blood flow, and suppresses your immune system – all factors that can delay healing. Stay away from wine and other alcoholic drinks until your surgeon confirms your incisions have fully closed.
Infection Risk
Finally, alcohol consumption directly after surgery can make you more prone to developing a wound infection or other complications. Your immune system is compromised after anesthesia and surgery so it’s important not to tax it further with alcohol until your doctor gives the OK.
What About Wine Specifically?
Is wine any different than liquor or beer when it comes to post-op consumption? Not really – wine has similar effects on wound healing, bleeding risk, pain medication interactions, and infection susceptibility after surgery. Red wine does contain antioxidants like resveratrol that may offer some health benefits, but these are far outweighed by the potential risks if consumed right after major surgery.
Some specific issues with drinking wine shortly after surgery include:
- Delayed wound healing – Wine is dehydrating and contains alcohol just like other forms of liquor
- Interaction with medications – The alcohol in wine can interact with prescription pain meds and other drugs
- Inflammation – Although red wine has anti-inflammatory properties, alcohol itself actually increases inflammation throughout your body and can irritate healing wounds
- Suppressed immunity – Your immune system is impaired after surgery and alcohol can further inhibit your body’s ability to fight off pathogens
For these reasons, there’s no real difference between drinking wine versus other alcoholic beverages after surgery. It’s best to avoid wine completely during your post-operative recovery period and follow your surgeon’s specific advice about when it’s safe to resume light drinking.
Tips for Returning to Drinking Wine After Surgery
Here are some tips to keep in mind as you ease back into light wine consumption after recovering from your surgery:
- Check with your surgeon – Don’t drink until your doctor says it’s safe based on your procedure, healing progress, and any ongoing medications
- Start slowly – When you get the OK to drink again, start with just 1 glass of wine with food and see how you feel
- Stay hydrated – Drink plenty of water in addition to wine to avoid dehydration and support healing
- Avoid pain pills – Don’t drink any wine if you are still taking prescription narcotic painkillers
- Watch for bleeding – If you experience wound bleeding after drinking wine, stop alcohol use and notify your doctor
- Don’t overdo it – Stick to moderate wine intake of no more than 1-2 glasses per day in the weeks after surgery
Be sure to communicate with your surgical team about any wine consumption after your procedure. Report any worrisome symptoms right away as alcohol can mask postsurgical complications.
The Bottom Line
It’s best to completely avoid drinking wine or any other alcohol for at least 1-2 weeks after having surgery. For major surgeries, you may need to hold off on wine for 4 weeks or longer to allow your body to heal. Speak with your surgeon about when it is safe to cautiously resume light alcohol intake based on the specifics of your surgical procedure and recovery process. With your doctor’s OK, you can soon enjoy that celebratory post-surgery glass of wine!