smoking and surgery

[turtlewoman 0]

hi,

I just talked to a friend of mine in Oklahoma who does education for a bariatric surgeon in Norman. she said that their patients are required to quit smoking 90 days before surgery. Is that a general rule with most surgeons? I know smoking is very bad :confused: but I'd rather just focus on one thing at a time.

[JosShavaughn 0]

Well crap, I'll remember to lie and say I've already quit!`

[ffpandamer 0]

Unless that is a requirement of your insurance, I'd find another doctor.

[Enchanted 2]

Here's a link

Smoking: Should I Quit for Surgery and Anesthesia?

Please don't lie to your doctor. Seriously, they are only doing their job and when you don't give them complete and accurate information, you make their job more difficult and put yourself at risk.

[MarilynJ6354 5]

My doctor required it so I quit, using Chantix. You can't

"lie". They do a blood test to see if you have smoked, and they do it several times. It's so you heal better. I had a friend who just couldn't quit. Failed the test each time. Finally gave up. She just had her second knee replacement surgery. All because she chose to smoke. I smoked for 35 years and quit, so it CAN be done if you want the surgery bad enough!

[ElfiePoo 109]

My doctor required it so I quit, using Chantix. You can't

"lie". They do a blood test to see if you have smoked, and they do it several times. It's so you heal better. I had a friend who just couldn't quit. Failed the test each time. Finally gave up. She just had her second knee replacement surgery. All because she chose to smoke. I smoked for 35 years and quit, so it CAN be done if you want the surgery bad enough!

Except that if you have a smoker in the house, your blood will show evidence of 'smoking'. I know someone who works for a company that tried to enforce a rule that employees were not allowed to smoke and then backed it up with random blood tests. She doesn't smoke. Her husband does. She failed the blood tests. They fire her. She sued and won a year's back pay off them.

Your friend should find another doctor. Which is not to say that it wouldn't be better to quit smoking. I vaguely remember reading that you don't heal as quickly if you smoke...something to do with the oxygen levels in your blood, maybe?

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[ElfiePoo 109]

I smoked for 35 years and quit, so it CAN be done if you want the surgery bad enough!

No offense, but haven't we heard this from people over the years regarding our weight? "You could lose it if you want it badly enough."

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[MarilynJ6354 5]

My husband still smokes, but maybe I passed the test because neither of us ever smoked in the house. Smoking steals oxygen from cells that are trying to heal so it affects wound healing.