Background

The risk of alcohol use disorder increases following bariatric surgery. Although patients understand this risk, more than half consume alcohol after surgery. To reduce alcohol use and prevent the development of a post-surgical alcohol use disorder, we need to better understand the reasons patients use alcohol following surgery. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with post-surgical alcohol use through patient interviews.

Methods

Patients (N= 20) who were 1-3 years post-bariatric surgery and were consuming alcohol at least 2-3 times monthly participated in a 60-minute interview. Participants responded about their knowledge of risk of post-surgical alcohol use and reasons why patients may start drinking. Deductive and inductive coding were completed by two independent raters.

Results

For deductive coding, participant statements were coded into four categories: knowledge about alcohol use after surgery, reaction to recommending abstinence from alcohol after surgery, reasons why patients may initiate alcohol use after surgery, and reasons why patients may continue using alcohol after initiation. Inductive coding identified three themes: how participants changed their drinking behaviors from pre- to post-surgery, experiences regarding the changes in perceived effects of alcohol from pre- to post-surgery, and reasons why patients may develop problematic alcohol use.

Conclusions

Participants were aware of the risks of alcohol use after surgery and offered significant insights into the reasons patients may drink, how drinking patterns may change over time, and why some may develop problems with alcohol. Understanding these perceptions can inform interventions to decrease alcohol use after bariatric surgery.