Question:
Is three weeks of not smoking before op enough?

I am quitting today. I have one left and am about to smoke it. The doctor said I was supposed to be not smoking for 3 months before surgery but my surgery is scheduled for October 2 and that willonly give me three weeks being smoke-free. What are the reasons I need to quit anyway and is 3 weeks going to help with that?    — Jennifer H. (posted on September 12, 2001)

September 12, 2001
When you smoke, you eradicate the cilia of the cells that line your esophagus and lungs. These cilia are little hair-like things--in the cell, they look like tiny tails--that help move mucus and impurities out of your body. It takes about three weeks of no smoking for the cilia to grow back, so three weeks is helpful, and certainly better than not quitting at all! <P>Some of the potential dangers of continuing to smoke until your surgery date include increased risk of pneumonia and having your body "hang on" to the anesthesia longer than it should, which can cause major problems. In obese people, the body already holds on to the anesthesia longer than in "normal" people, because it stays in fat cells longer. A smoker compounds this problem by not having the lung capacity and cellular health to really help clear the lungs and body of the medicine. <P>I know all this because I was a smoker for over 20 years, and didn't even quit for my VBG. Personally, I had no serious adverse effects that I'm aware of, but I'm also firmly in the minority that way. I wish I'd have quit then; I finally managed to quit a little less than two weeks before my abdominoplasty, and have noticed a big difference in how my scar is healing, and how quickly I was able to shrug off the anesthesia. <P>Good luck to you in quitting!
   — Suzanne B.

September 12, 2001
Hey Jennifer, I was/am a smoker. I quit 4 weeks ago and my surgery is 09-14-01. My surgeon requested I quit 3 mo before surgery. I fessed up to having only quit one month ago. He stated the major concern is pnemonia. The mucas that forms in the lungs from smoking along w/ anastesia and post op drugs cause you to not breath deeply enough to keep fluid from collecting in your lungs. I asked him what my options were to help prevent this. He suggested I either have an epidurial or a on-q post op. Here is on-q's website http://www.i-flowcorp.com/3_PRODUCTS/ACUTE_PAIN_MANAGEMENT/onq.html . I will be using on-q w/ a backup morphine pump. However, both of these keep you from having a respitory suppression. Meaning you will be able to take deep breaths easily to combat the mucus and fluid build up in the lungs. Talk to your surgeon. Also go ahead and get an incentive spirometer it will help you w/ your deep breathing and start using it now. I will let you know how it works out next week when I'm out of the hospital. (send me an email reminder if I dont get back to you)
   — [Anonymous]

September 12, 2001
Wow, I really can empathize with you...I am taking Wellbutrin to help be quit smoking before I have my gastric bypass. At first, when they told me I needed to be smoke free for at least six weeks prior to surgery, I thought, yeah right...but after some research, I am totally scared NOT to quit before the procedure is done! I am still waiting for my approval from BC/BS...but as of tomorrow, I will try to go my first day with no smokes..hope this Wellbutrin helps!
   — Angela U.

September 20, 2001
I would recommend you quit if you can. It certainly wouldn't hurt and it may even help. I have asthma, I didn't quit and neither did a friend of mine. We were lucky, though, in that we didn't suffer any side effects (that we know of). But we took an even bigger risk by not quitting. Like I said, quit if you can.
   — [Anonymous]

September 23, 2001
Jennifer, I would HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend quitting smoking immediately! I'll tell you why. I smoked up until the night before my surgery and I went through hell. I had the worse time in the hospital. My blood oxygen levels were in the low 80's, (normal range should be 90 - 100), I was trying to cough non-stop, I was on oxygen, AND had to have six breathing treatments EACH DAY! It was horrible! I wish I had listened to others when they urged me to stop smoking before surgery, it would have saved me a lot of hassels. Thankfully, I have not smoked since the night before surgery and that was 4 months ago. : ) You can do it too!! Good luck with your surgery, keep us posted!
   — Heather W.