The first clear evidence that gastric surgery can accelerate alcohol absorption came in 2002, when Klockhoff and collaborators found that RYGB caused women to reach ~ 28% higher peak BACs—within 5 minutes, compared to 25 minutes in non-operated women matched for age and BMI (245). Later studies confirmed even larger increases (up to 100%) when arterialized blood (rather than venous blood) was sampled (246, 247). In contrast, LAGB leaves anatomy intact and does not alter alcohol pharmacokinetics (244, 248). Therefore, the higher AUD incidence after RYGB compared to LAGB, has a mechanistic basis (233, 235).
