question about smoking and surgery

I quit smoking in 98 and then started again when my mother was sick last yr until Oct of this year. Well, I was with some friends this weekend and smoked a couple ciggs. I am scared now that l wont be able to have surgery. I spoke with one clinic way back in June that said they test for smokers before surgery. I smoked before when l had surgery years ago. I just feel so badly that l did that, and just want some information. Does anyone know what they test for the day before surgery?? Thanks geri

The only test that I had was a week before surgery, they did a EGD, which was a tube with a camera to look at my stomack through my mouth. I suppose they can see your layrnx and maybe they can tell by that and certainly by the shape of your esphagus and bronchus. Be honest with your surgeon. If you smoke, with this surgery, you are at a higher risk for blood clots and pnuemonia. If you are still smoking and are still planning on having the surgery, quit now. Good luck.

My surgeon does not test for smoking but I was honest with him that I hadn't quit during my visit just 2 weeks before my surgery was scheduled. He put my surgery off for 2 months. If you're not scheduled yet, great! If you are, you must be honest with him/her so that you will be in better health for your recovery. I can't imagine that smoking just 2 cigarettes would make much of a difference if you haven't picked that "habit" back up. Better safe than sorry, though, right?

I had to have an AGB done the morning I went for my surgery (but didn't get to have it) and also I had to have an AGB done when I had been quit smoking for 8 weeks. The surgeon said it takes 8 weeks for all the chemicals from smoking to get out of your blood, so yes they can tell if you have smoked or not, and some surgeons will refuse to your surgery if you still smoked. If you can't commit to being healthier by quitting smoking then how are you going to commit to being healthier with your eating? Those are not my words by the way but words I was told once. An AGB is an Arterial Blood Gas, its where they stick a not so small needle up through your wrist, and they don't feel good at all. It was hard for me to quit and I kept sneaking cigs here and there, and next thing I knew I was back to smoking, it only took a few puffs here and there for me to start back up. I ended up using the patches to quit. I have been smoke free for a 1 year and 2 weeks. !!