Question:
I know this will make alot of you irate,but here it goes.....

I am having surgery on Tuesday morning & have not quit smoking yet. Has anyone smoked up untill the surgery & if so,did you run into any problems? My last surgery I had a cigarette right before I walked into the hospital. Please let me know if you have smoked before having WLS. Thanks in advance!    — [Anonymous] (posted on August 27, 2000)

August 27, 2000
of course, the decision is yours. I too am a smoker, but I have just contacted my PCP and am starting on wellbutrin tomorrow to help me quit. I don't have a surgery date yet but I wanted to get a jump start on it. Maybe you could use the patch and quit now (better late than never) and possibly that would help you? My understanding with the smoking issue is that it can cause respitory problems in the OR and after, and you may get bronchitis or pneumonia during recovery after going through the surgery. However, I have known of a few people that have had the surgery and still smoked. They came out just fine, but I have only known a few of them. Hey, what would they do if it was emergency surgery for a heart problem???? Good luck on your surgery
   — enjo4

August 27, 2000
I wanted to stop smoking before my surgery. But it didn't work out I did cut way down. I was lucky and didn't have any problems! I had surgery four months ago today and i have lost 76#. I feel wonderful!
   — [Anonymous]

August 27, 2000
I had my surgery Monday. I have smoked for 14 years, and I have asthma. I was VERY lucky. I tried to quit smoking and went down to less than a pack per day (from 1.5-2) Anyway, my adnoids and tonsils are HUGE!!! Needless to say, I had a hard time coming out of the anesthesia. The worst parts about the smoking issues are: 1. Your mortality rate increases slightly and 2. COUGHING HURTS!!!!! I can't tell you what the coughing felt like in there. No pillow could help my cough. I would recommond seeing a pulmonologist and have them assess you for a need for any meds that may clear your lungs. Some docs DO NOT want you to quit so it's very important to talk to your PCP AND your surgeon about this! Good Luck! Wishing I never smoked...
   — Jeannet

August 27, 2000
I smoked for 12 years, but luckily had stopped 2+ years before my surgery -- because my doctor does NOT perform this surgery on smokers! The only post-op problems he encountered in his career, he tells me, were with smokers and so refuses to do the surgery until they quit.
   — [Anonymous]

August 28, 2000
I had the open rny on the 22/3/00 and smoked right up till the night before. The only reason i didn't smoke the morning of the operation was because they came for me early so i didn't have chance. I had some trouble breathing properly when i came out of surgery so they kept me on oxygen. The coughing was the worst of it as i found i wanted to cough all the time. I didn't smoke for another 12 days as i didn't want to start a coughing fit. I still smoke now. If you can quit then do so, if not at least try to cut down as this can help. I hope this is of some use. Lynn Speight.
   — Lynn S.