Question:
What happens if you have Abdominoplasy and you smoke?

I smoke about 1/2 a pack a day, and I am planning on having abdominoplasty in 3 weeks. I have lost 165lbs in a year and I work out 5 days a weeks. Will it really hurt me if I don't quit? Any smokers had this done?    — andi K. (posted on January 29, 2004)

January 29, 2004
I am a smoker, well x-smoker now so far. I just had mine done Monday and I cut back on smoking a few weeks ago to less than a pack a week and I quit Sat. before Surgery and now im not going back and have no desire. I had no problems myself, but they just said no smoking 24hrs. before Surgery. Good luck!
   — Sandy M.

January 29, 2004
A lady recently posted on the message board that she had a TT and was smoking at the time. Some of her tissue didn't heal and turned necrotic. The surgeon had to re-operate and remove all the dead tissue. More than once i think. That is the big problem with smoking and having tt's.
   — Delores S.

January 29, 2004
I posted this a few weeks ago. I had a TT and hernia repair on 12-5-03. Although I cut back to about 1/2 a pack a day, I did not quit. A baseball size portion of my stomach, just above the incision had poor circulation and became "necrotic". That was cut out on 12-26-03, leaving me with a huge hole in my stomach, and a few weeks of EXTREMELY painful dressing changes, done by home health nurses, because the wound was too large to care for myself. On 1-15-04 I had a skin graft (also painful). They took skin from my thigh (which leaves a lovely scar), and used it to cover the holes in my stomach ( I have 2). My stomach is still not healed, and is still painful. I will need further surgery, in addition to the 3 I've already had, to make the scars even presentable. They are what my surgeon calls "unacceptable". I still have drainage, which is really gross, still have pain, and still have to do daily dressing changes. As a matter of fact, I stood up at work today, looked down, and my pants were covered with blood. No big deal, my surgeon had to cauterize a portion of the wound, and it was all a little traumatic. I have no idea when all of this will be over. What happens when you have a TT and don't quit? Maybe nothing, or maybe all of that. Do you want to take a chance?
   — Lesa H.

January 30, 2004
This is may not be quite the answer you are looking for but I feel like I must share. My ps told me he wouldnt even do the surgery if I didnt quit for 3 months prior. (he said Im not picking on you, I smoke, wish I had a nickel for every time Ive quit-hell you can start back 10 days after if you want) It was for the same reasons Lesa gave. Almost the exact same words. He had a patient with a base ball size hole in her stomach and told me the only time he had had a problem with tissue loss was with smokers. when he first told me I could hardly wrap my brain around quitting. My RNY surgeon didnt require it. I may have quit if he had but Im not so sure. Having this weightloss dream come true has changed me I think. Being smoke free has been every bit a dream for me as being thin. I know how you are feeling. Anyhow... My insurance approved my tummy tuck (they didnt pay a nickel for my RNY) and I knew there was no way I could live with myself If I turned down a free tummy tuck because I couldnt quit. The fear of quitting, the deciding to quit and the two weeks before quitting was definately worse than quitting. I did 3 things and am not sure which thing did it. (I know that patches and gum help some but not me the one other time I tried--when I returned home from RNY. I beleive in getting the nicotene gone as soon as possible) One, I took Welbutrin, I ordered (and used)the full kit of Smoke Away (about $150) and what I believed helped me the most was quitsmokingonline.com and quitnet.com I smoked 2 packs a day for 25 years and Ive been smoke free 96 days now and am prouder of that than anything. I have put on about 6 pounds--kinda freaking out about that. But hey how can you put a value on not killing yourself a pack at a time. My hernia repair and tt is tuesday (yea Im scared)and when I when to my preop appt to report to him, he stunk and I didnt!!!! Good luck to you. Marilayne--email me if you want some support!!!
   — Marilayne M.

January 30, 2004
Please take a few moments to read my profile, dear lady.....I smoked for 26 years, it's just not worth dying for. Really honey.
   — Katherine G.

January 30, 2004
Sorry, after I got off of my soap box I realized there really is an answer to your question:: When you have a tummy tuck the ps literally peels your torso area. Cutting all the skin (and fat of course) away from your body, pulls it down tight, sews it to the lower skin and cuts off the excess. Now, your skin has to "reattach" itself to your body. This is where the oxygen is needed for the healing process. Smoking hinders this process. I think that does it. Good luck to you. Marilayne
   — Marilayne M.

January 31, 2004
You fit better in your casket? Sorry - couldn't resist. Why wouldn't you want to quit? You're not smoking so much that you could be that addicted. It definitely could hurt you, and you've done sooooo much to make yourself healthier, it doesn't make much sense to backtrack. Picture yourself on a treadmill at the gym...with a SNICKERS and a CIGARETTE in your hands. Looks silly, huh? Put 'em away and enjoy even better health (and better smelling clothes!) Good luck!
   — Steve R.

March 17, 2005
I just quit 3 days ago because I have an abdominoplasty coming up next Wednesday. I cut down before but should have quit sooner for all the reasons listed below. Do yourself a favor and try to quit as early as possible before your surgery. The more time your body has to get back to normal the better you'll do in the long run.
   — mdragynfly