Alcohol can have many effects on the body, and affects the way your body responds to surgery.
It’s recommended to drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, spread across 3 days or more. That’s around 6 medium (175ml) glasses of wine or 6 pints of 4% beer.
Alcohol Change UK has a calculator to help you check how much you drink
The more you drink, the higher your risk of complications after surgery, so cutting down any amount is beneficial.
You should aim to gradually cut down to safe limits. If you are drinking excessively, it is important not to stop suddenly.
NHS Better Heath, has lots of practical tips and advice on cutting down and stopping your drinking.
You can also find useful advice on the Drink Aware website and the NHS Live Well website has links to national and local support groups.
Your GP can also support you to find local services and treatments, such as counselling, and can prescribe medications to help manage cravings, nutrition and withdrawal.