When Andre the Giant needed back surgery in the 1980s, doctors faced an unprecedented challenge calculating his anesthesia dosage. Standard weight-based formulas didn't account for his gigantism and extraordinary alcohol tolerance. Andre reportedly told them, 'It usually takes two liters of vodka just to make me feel warm inside,' which doctors actually used as a reference point alongside his body mass to determine the appropriate dose.
How Vodka Helped Doctors Anesthetize Andre the Giant
Andre the Giant wasn't just a wrestling legend—he was a medical anomaly who left doctors scratching their heads. When the 7'4", 500-pound wrestler needed back surgery in the 1980s, his surgical team faced a problem no textbook could solve.
The Anesthesia Problem
Standard anesthesia dosing relies on body weight, but Andre wasn't standard anything. His gigantism, caused by excess growth hormone, meant his body processed substances differently than typical patients. Add to that decades of heroic drinking, and his liver had become remarkably efficient at metabolizing sedatives.
Too little anesthesia? Andre might wake up mid-surgery. Too much? Potentially fatal complications. The medical team needed a baseline, but there was no precedent for someone like Andre.
"Two Liters of Vodka"
According to multiple accounts from those who knew him, Andre offered his doctors an unconventional reference point. When asked about his alcohol tolerance, he reportedly said, "It usually takes two liters of vodka just to make me feel warm inside."
This wasn't bravado. Andre's drinking capacity was legendary among wrestlers and celebrities alike. Stories abound of him consuming 100+ beers in a single sitting, or drinking an entire case of wine with dinner. His tolerance was so extreme that getting actually drunk required quantities that would hospitalize ordinary humans.
A Legendary Thirst
The tales of Andre's drinking are almost mythological:
- He once drank 119 beers in six hours
- A typical "nightcap" was a case of beer
- He allegedly passed out in a hotel lobby, and staff simply threw a piano cover over him because nobody could move him
- Wrestler Dusty Rhodes claimed Andre drank 106 beers on a single plane flight
For Andre, alcohol wasn't about getting drunk—it was about managing chronic pain. His gigantism caused constant joint and back problems, and he reportedly used alcohol as self-medication since his body responded poorly to standard painkillers.
The Medical Reality
While the vodka story makes for great telling, doctors didn't simply convert liters of vodka to milliliters of propofol. The anecdote likely served as one data point among many, helping anesthesiologists understand they were dealing with an unprecedented level of substance tolerance. Combined with his massive body weight and unique physiology, they could extrapolate a safer dosing range.
The surgery was successful, though Andre's health continued to decline throughout the late 1980s. He passed away in 1993 at just 46 years old, his body worn down by the same condition that made him famous.
A Giant's Legacy
Andre the Giant remains one of wrestling's most beloved figures, remembered not just for his size but for his warmth, humor, and larger-than-life personality. The anesthesia story captures something essential about him: even in a vulnerable moment, Andre found a way to make people smile while helping solve an impossible problem.
It's a reminder that Andre wasn't just physically extraordinary—he was functionally extraordinary, his body operating by rules that applied to no one else on Earth.