Alcohol consumption after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: 1-year results

Introduction: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG) represents, at present, the most performed bariatric procedure worldwide with excellent long-term results on weight loss and comorbidities control. After the gastrectomy procedure, together with hormonal modification, several changes in taste and habits occur, including the potential modification in alcohol consumption. The aim of this prospective study was to determine the frequency and the amount of alcohol use before and after SG using a modified version of the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) at 1-year follow-up and eventually to evaluate relationships between different ages and sexes. Materials and methods: A total of 142 patients were prospectively enrolled and evaluated before and 1 year after SG with a modified AUDIT. The exclusion criteria were as follows: history of alcohol abuse, presence of psychopathology or cognitive impairments, diabetes mellitus type II decompensated, or previous gastrointestinal, liver, and pancreatic resective surgery. Subgroup analyses were performed between male and female and between under and over 40 years old. Results: The median AUDIT score decreased from 2.70 (range 1–18) before surgery to 1.38 (range 1–7) after 1 year of SG, indicating a marked reduction in alcohol use. The most consumed alcoholic drink was beer (36.6%/n = 52) while after surgery the consumption of beer decreased considerably (21.1%/n = 30). The frequency of alcohol consumption also decreased: at baseline 45% of patients consumed alcoholic drinks “from 2 to 4 times per month”, whereas 26 and 39.4% consumed alcohol “never” and “less than once a month,” respectively. After surgery, nobody consumed more then six alcoholic drinks. No differences were found between the subgroups in terms of alcohol consumption and social behavior. Conclusions: The alcohol preference is modified and decreased 1 year after SG and this could be related to the strict nutritional follow-up and to the hormonal changes. Studies with large samples and long-term follow-up are needed to confirm our data. Level of evidence: IV.