Question:
Besides the obvious, can smoking post-op harm the pouch?

Please e-mail directly with any info...thanks [email protected]    — Melissa W. (posted on December 2, 2003)

December 1, 2003
Research shows that it is a contributer to ulcers. As is coffee.
   — RebeccaP

December 1, 2003
Smoking, stress, caffeine, carbonation, bacteria, etc...all CAN potentially contribute to an ulcer. Smoking can slow down the healing process, reduce blood flow to injured areas, promote hunger (but usually the opposite), make one more suseptiple to cancer of the throat, mouth, lungs, pouch, etc. Do I smoke? Yup. Am I gonna quit? Not yet.
   — [Deactivated Member]

December 2, 2003
I agree with both posters below, but aren't smoking and coffee, etc. contributors to ulcers regardless of the size of your stomach? The main concern for post-ops re: smoking, from what I understand, is the healing time.
   — Ryan M.

December 2, 2003
Yes, smoking and coffee are bad for any stomach. But because we have messed around with ours more than the average person, ours are more suseptable to irritants. I have smoked and had coffee for 16 years. :( Only now that I have had WLS have I developed ulcers. There are no 'good' qualities to smoking...even us smokers recognize that. As far as the pouch is concerned, the ulcers and yes, the healing time are both affected by smoking. Other than that, I have not heard any other adverse effects of smoking...on the pouch. ;)
   — RebeccaP