Question:
HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO BE SMOKE FREE BEFORE SURGERY?

HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO BE SMOKE FREE BEFORE SURGERY    — valerie C. (posted on April 30, 2004)

April 30, 2004
I had to be 6 weeks before and 6 weeks after. Good lux
   — Robert L.

April 30, 2004
I read 3 weeks on a surgeon's website.
   — Teresa Green

April 30, 2004
Its for your own good. Beyond the regular risks of smoking it has additional serious hazards for us. Smoking increases the blood clot risk, causes slower healing, and increases the possiblity of leaks and ulcers just to name a few. Beyond which a hacking cough is never good after major surgery and if you have open surgery might lead to a hernia, that will require yet another surgery. most get WLS to get healthy, why not save tons of money and get healthy too?
   — bob-haller

April 30, 2004
I smoked for over 30 years and I was told I had to quit a month before surgery. I played the waiting game with getting a surgery date so I wasn't sure when I was going to have it. I ended up quitting 9 months before my surgery. I seemed to cough more around the first month so I was so glad I quit before. Believe me, the last thing you want is to have smokers cough after major surgery. I'm one of those who never thought I'd be able to quit, to be honest I had only tried once before, and that was years ago when I went with some friends to get hypnotized. That lasted all of 4 days. This time was different, I had more incentive...my life was at stake! Even though I quit I still had breathing complications during surgery...I stopped! I'd hate to think what would have happened had I still been smoking. Like a fool I started smoking again almost a year to the day I quit. It didn't take me long to realize how stupid I was so on April 1st (I chose that day as a reminder of how foolish I was to ever start back) I put them down again and this time FOR GOOD! I didn't go through all of this just to end up dying from cigarettes. Do yourself a big favor and quit now. You'll be so glad you did! Good Luck!
   — Jill H.

May 5, 2004
Forever, and same goes for post-op. No smoking :-)
   — DianeN