Smoking...yeah I know

[doinitagann]

Yeah, I know the health risks of smoking. I hate that I am a smoke but alas, I do. I quit smoking about 3 months ago and gained a whopping 15 pounds in one month. I started back up soon thereafter. Anyway, The preop diet says that we are suppose to not smoke in the two weeks before surgery. Just wondering if anyone knew why. I am not sure that I can both diet and not smoke

[DaGreen]

No doctor here but I am going to assume it has something to do with the spirometer?

[Kittycat]

Health reasons and anesthetic. Some doctors, including the OCC (from what I have read) insist you quit before surgery. My surgeon did not insist, but I did cut down before surgery. Quitting smoking and going on 4 shakes per day (no food) was not an realistic option for me and my doctor understood that. I would have been homicidal by day two.

Best of luck and follow your surgeons directions!!

[Clynn]

I believe it's because smoking lowers your circulation and also makes it so your body isn't able to take in as much oxygen per breath. When you're under anesthesia that's bad times.

[julieburns]

Clynn is right about the oxygenation of ones body. Smoking saturates the lungs with terrible toxins other than oxygen and the effects can last for a long time. When given general anesthesia your respiratory rate is depressed and your body needs all the "good" oxygen available. The more areas of the lung that can take in and use the fresh oxygen the better. Smoking will fill the available areas for good oxygen and fill it with bad toxins. Make sense?

[Kim2BSlim]

I am a smoker and I also couldn't see quitting smoking and eating at the same time. I am not a heavy smoker and I passed the lung function test with flying colors. However, I never quit smoking and actually smoked the whole time I was in Mexico. I know, I know..Bad Bad Kimmie!!

[PAMMIE]

I'VE POSTED THIS A FEW TIMES NOW, IT'S GROSS SO BEWARE LOL

http://www.cosmeticmiracles.com/handbook/s...nd_surgery.html

LOOK UP SKIN NECROSIS, THEY'RE PRETTY GROSS LOOKING SORES THAT HAPPEN TO SMOKERS MORE THEN NON SMOKERS AFTER SURGERY WHEN WOUNDS DON'T HEAL DUE TO BLOOD FLOW AND THE SKIN JUST DIES OFF. IT HELPS ME TO TRY AND STAY FOCUSED.

[dreamhappy07]

WELL, I AM A SMOKER ALSO AND STILL AM. I WAS ALSO AWARE OF THE RISKS AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR NOT SMOKING BEFORE AND AFTER SURGERY. HOWEVER, I DIDN'T SMOKE FOR A FEWS UNTIL AFTER SURGERY AND BACK AT THE HOTEL AND...YES...YOU GUESSED IT...I SMOKED AND HAVE BEEN SMOKING EVER SINCE. I HEALED VERY WELL TOO. SURE IT TOOK A WHILE, BUT I BLAME THAT ON THE DIABETIC SIDE OF ME WHICH IS FADING FAST I MIGHT ADD.

PEACE AND BEST WISHES TO ALL!

JUDY

P.S. I PLAN ON QUITTING SOMEDAY BUT YOU REALLY HAVE TO BE READY TO REALLY WANT TO AND BE SUCCESSFUL AT IT IS MY OWN THINKING.

[doinitagann]

Thank you all for your replies, It makes me feel a bit better. I am going to try to cut back ( i am not a heavy smoker anyway) before the surgery. Then hopefully I can go a couple of days right before. i am waiting till the kids go back to school so I do not get balistic on them.

[erin2796]

I smoked prior to surgery. I quit the 2 weeks before and not a day sooner. I have been smoke free since then and I am so glad. Now is the time to do it because you have a motivational reason, what is more important the surgery or the smoking? I know they are a close two but you will not gain the weight because of the strict diet you are on for the next month pre and post op so if your going to do it again..now is the time.

When I got to OCC for my surgery and they tested my lungs I was told that I have the lungs of a 40+ year old which is really bad because I'm only 29. That was additional motivation. If it helps try to stay away from people that smoke but I didn't do this I have several friends that smoke and I figured that if I couldn't be around them without smoking I would never be able to quit. Amazingly enough the same applied to the eating if I couldn't be around someone eating real food while I was on the liquid diet I was going to have a rough ride ahead.

Now a friend of mine smoked also and he smoked before and after the surgery and now wishes he had quit then. It is of course a personal choice that only you can make for yourself. I chose to have this surgery because I wanted to have a long healthy life and by continuing to smoke I was only hurting myself and shortening my life span and continuing to chose to be unhealthy.

Good Luck regardless of your choice. The first week will be the hardest but trust me it gets easier as time goes by.

Erin

[DaGreen]

Ok, now that I have "THE Lap Band Bible" from Dr. Ortiz, the reason for no smoking before the surgery is do to "pulmonary complications that can account for one-quarter of all deaths occurring in the first six days after surgery."

I am sorry for the smoking addiction as I am sorry for the food addictions. It's tough and we all just have to work through it together.

[jena]

In addition to the issues pointed out above, smokers do not heal as fast as non-smokers, especially bone and soft tissue. That leads to more complications from surgery.

Your stomach has to heal after the surgery, as well as the band settling down and staying in place. You don't want your band to slip!

There are now some wonderful drugs out there that will curb your addiction to the nicotine and there are always the patches. If you are thinking about doing it, call your primary care doc and let them know you are interested in the new smoking cessation drugs.

It looks like before surgery is an optimal time to quit! check out this article (from 2006) http://www.asahq.org/news/news020306.htm

Here's a quote from it, "According to a new comprehensive review of existing studies in the February issue of Anesthesiology, surgical patients who are nonsmokers, or who stop smoking prior to surgery, tend to fare better in the recovery period than smokers. This is in addition to the benefit seen during the actual surgery, when anesthesia is safer and more predictable in nonsmokers due to better functioning of the heart, blood vessels, lungs and nervous system.

Add to all of this another bonus: smokers who have quit around the time of surgery may have fewer problems with nicotine withdrawal after the operation than they would have if they had tried to quit at other times. This may be due to medications and therapies commonly used during surgery and recovery, which may suppress nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Even if patients do have problems with nicotine withdrawal after surgery, they can safely receive help such as nicotine patches. "

[mom12]

We did have a forum mate who was turned away on Surgery day because she didn't quit smoking. She had to go home and come back 2 and 1/2 weeks later to get her surgery after she quit smoking so I would take their instructions seriously. I wouldn't want to take the chance on not getting the surgery.

http://www.lapbandforum.com/index.php?show...18&hl=smoke

[julieburns]

Here's some tough love from one who knows, an ex-smoker for almost 5 years.

You just have to set your mind to quitting, at least for the 2 weeks prior to surgery,period. Buy some patches, they work. Also you can get gums and all sorts of aids OTC. As suggested call your doctor and get an RX if you can. You then have to find something to do with your hands to keep busy instead of moving the cig to and from your mouth. Typing on this forum is an excellent substitute but there are so many things to distract your mins and hands. I actually would pretend I was holding a cigarette and take a nice long drag of air and then exhale and all the while think it was just like real smoke. The nice breathing you do as long as it takes to smoke a cig is good for you. People thought I was crazy but it worked. Don't look at this as an option, you MUST do this for your surgery. Yes perhaps others have not quit and then smoked right after but do you want to be that 1 in a few hundred that has complications because you couldn't give this a try, and make it happen? If you have complications in surgery they would have to transfer you to a real hospital where you would probably go into an ICU and no one speaks english. Think about it and get your priorities in line. You know all the tips and tricks to help quit so JUST DO IT!!