VSG Facts on Effects of Alcohol

Hello,
Unfortunetly this past weekend I was pulled over and got a DUI. I am wondering if there is any informational material that I can find online that explains why my blood alcohol content level may be higher even though I drank less than a person with a normal stomach.

I want to give something to my attorney because I think it may help my case...

Thanks!

I would consult a doctor on this one, more solid "proof".  I'm guessing it could be the smaller stomach and the alcohol being absorbed into the system faster?  I don't really have a clue but your surgeon would, I imagine.

Hate to break it to you, but most docs won't get involved with that. The simple fact is that with VSG you have rapid gastric emptying, but that's it. The effect of alcohol in VSG patients is the same as in people with normal anatomy. Technically, nothing has changed metabolically. Only thing is that it hits your small intestine more quickly meaning that you will get drunk more quickly, but no more drunk than a person with a normal anatomy.

You're 100 pounds less than you used to be. A certain amount of drinks might have been a lower BAC% than it is now because of your weight.  They have those little print outs that tell you, based on weight, what your BAC% will be after X amount of drinks and X amount of time.

Btw, I highly doubt any info is going to help your case. Even if you had 1 drink and you were over .08, you were still driving over the allowed limit and it's your responsibility to drink responsibly. If I was a judge I would honestly say "too bad," you were drunk.

Your blood alcohol level is the amount of toxins in your blood, regardless of the cause of it. Drunk is drunk, even if you did not feel that drunk. Most people who are smaller can't drink very much without hitting that level. That may be one of the downsides to being skinny.

I don't think it will help as much as you think.  Being able to tolerate less alcohol is not a defense against driving drunk.  The courts answer - you should have know all the more that your tolerance was lower.  How much you drank compared to someone else is irrelevant.

Agreed with the above. It won't look good on you at all. Point is you were over the limit to drive. The courts won't care about how and why you were buzzed/drunk. Chalk it up to a learning experience! Don't drink and drive! That doesn't change with surgery!

At a group meeting last month our surgeon said he gets calls from attorneys all the time asking if the surgery effects the amount of alcohol on can tolerate, etc. The answer is, no. The size of your stomache has nothing to do with it. The reason why you can't tolerate the amount of alcohol you used to is because you weigh less. You have less blood volume so it takes less to make you drunk, but no less than someone else your size.

Thanks everyone. But maybe I wasn't clear. I was meaning articles or studies that have been done. Not personal opinions or experience. It is something that was asked of me so i thought someone may know.

Never said I wasn't guilty or that I wanted a debate either. Just factual documented information with a noteable source. If that isnt what you have to offer to me then please DO NOT reply.

I saw a post on here recently that had an article about this. It was in PA. You could go back over the past week in this forum. I am sure you will find it. It was in the heading.