I know how long it stays in your system, but don't want to give you the number because it will only encourage you to try and "trick" what your dr. is telling you. My surgeon also did a nic test before surgery. (Sorry.....
) But it REALLY is in your best interest to stop smoking (as I did before my surgery). It was the best thing besides my surgery I could have ever done for myself and my children! I still crave one sometimes, but would NEVER start back. I can't let myself or my children down now and don't ever want that nasty, stinky habit back! I will tell you that your recovery depends on you quiting now. Smoking restricts blood flow and blood flow is VITAL in recovery from surgery and the healing process. And blood flow is already restricted to your new pouch after surgery, so you can't afford to NOT quit smoking. Smoking also has been proven to cause ulcers in WLS patients post-op even years down the road and take it from me, you DON'T want one of those, as I dealt with one right after surgery and could not eat solids until the last two weeks and I am almost 4 months out. It's a horrible thing when your pouch burns and aches all the time and you can't get any food to stay down because of an ulcer. The risks you take just to smoke and slowly kill yourself with nicotine after surgery are WAY too high for me to consider anymore. I had this surgery to be healthy and why go through this surgery if I am not going to do my best to have a healthy body the rest of my life?