Smokers!!!
For most surgeons, yes, it is an absolute requirement, and for extremely good reasons, which above posters have already mentioned. Also, working in a hospital respiratory care department, I completely second the notion that quitting smoking and not getting surgery would still have much greater improvements on your health than the other way around.
Beyond what everyone told you here...which are good enough reasons to me.
This surgery is about starting a new healthy life. Quitting all these things that are so bad for you. For some it's smoking, for others it's drinking alcohol or drinking soda. We all have to adjust our eating habits and perceptions of food and comfort/emotional crutch.
All of these things go into being successful long term. What I mean by that is almost anyone can lose weight the first 6-12 months of WLS. The real work and success comes after the "honeymoon" period has past. This is when all of the sacrifices you made to give up the things that are not good for you will help you.
The Bariatric program I am going through for surgery will absolutely not do the surgery on anyone who smokes. There are blood tests to detect if you smoke and they do them regularly throughout the pre-op phase. I suppose one could start up again after surgery, but then if you've quit, why would you want to do that?? Of course I'm not a smoker so I don't know first hand the pull cigarettes have on folks. Anyway, good luck - you may be able to find a doc that will do the surgery if you're a smoker but there don't appear to be too many.
"Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail"
I smoked for 30+ yrs and quit 16 yrs ago, am now on oxygen 24/7. So not a fun way to live. I've lost weight but most of it is because my lungs are expanding and getting bigger trying to get enough oxygen so it pushes my stomach and makes it smaller, making it fill sooner and takes away my appetite. So trust me even if you don't get surgery, if you keep smoking you'll lose weight but it will be because of all the suffering you end up going thru when your lungs have COPD from smoking~I suggest you quite while you can and never start back up COPD is a horrible diesease and ruins your life!
I quit almost 10 years ago wilth the help of Chantix. I was very surprised that it worked since nothing else had helped in the past. I never even had a urge to smoke after the first week of taking it. I now think all the time and money I had wasted beside the heath risks I still live with. There are so many ways to quilt now. You can do it!
I was a pack a day smoker for 23 years and stopped with the help of an ecig. That is the best investment I made prior to RNY. It makes it easy to quit, and if like me you can't over the hand to mouth habit you can still do zero mg nicotine and not be a smoker. You will thank yourself for throwing the cigs away. I have been cig free for almost 2 years and 10 months post RNY, I am well on my way to a healthier me!
Good luck!
