Has anybody smoked after a gastric bypass. - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

JTH123 · 10-19-2009, 12:37 PM

Hi Guys Big John Here .
8 days post op now , still on liquids and feeling
hungry . ( Noticed if i eat my liquids a little fast
i start feeling sick . So really taking it slow .

Just a quick question for any body who might
have an answer .
I stopped smoking before my bypass
to make good for surgery .
Has any body had any experience
with smoking after surgery.
Because i would love a smoke but iam
a little nervous in case i do any damage .

jerseygrl684 · 10-19-2009, 12:50 PM

You had surgery at 177 lbs? I hope that isn't US equivalent.

Smoking can cause or make ulcers worse. There is a reason that most surgeons recommend you not to smoke before/after surgery. Some have gone as far as not to do the surgery if you cannot commit to quitting.

JTH123 · 10-19-2009, 01:06 PM

Thanks for your advice . I was 177 kg on the day of
my surgery . I think that is around 27 stone something .

Corrine · 10-19-2009, 01:13 PM

I believe that's around 390lb.

Sweetheart, you have to ask yourself why you had this surgery in the first place. I suspect that your health was probably at the top of the list.

The risks of smoking are known and they're not going to be any the less just because you've had WLS.

You put yourself through surgery for a reason. Keep focussing on that.

Kainu1329 · 10-19-2009, 01:22 PM

I used to be a smoker and my husband smoke, but I must say that I cannot have a smoker near because it stinks and make me nauseous. In addition, lets keep it healthy 100%

Josephine · 10-19-2009, 10:55 PM

I'm not gonna be an anti smoking weirdo just because I quit.. The thing for me is that after WLS your chances of getting an ulcer are far greater if you smoke. Ulcers can actually eat a hole thru your stomach and then your food and drink spill out into your body and can actually kill you. That's too damn scary for me to risk it.

Ladyluck82 · 10-20-2009, 01:45 AM

Hi Big John, I am a smoker, I am trying not to be a smoker!
At 5 months out I found that I couldnt eat anything at all and when it started to hurt when I drank water I went to the hospital.
They stuck a camera on a tube down my throat while I was awake and found a huge ulcer taking up almost the whole of my stomach. I had to stay in hospital for 10 days on various meds including a daily DVT injection in my leg which hurts real bad and then had another camera down my throat to make sure it had got smaller.
They said it was because I smoke, and now they say if I dont stop smoking I will most likely get cancer there in the next 10 years because smoking causes production of gastric acid which doesnt allow the ulcer to heal and so then means that ulcer might eventually turn into cancer.

Dont smoke Big John x

JEveland · 12-29-2009, 03:31 AM

I quit for about 3 months before surgery, and started back up again about a month out. I really really wish I hadn't. I think if you can keep up with being abstinent from it then you should really strive for it. I took advantage of how nice it felt to not be a smoker anymore. I didn't realize until now how good it felt. The thing with nicotine is that it weakens your blood vessles, and nicotine is primarily absorbed in your stomach. So, I took a big risk picking this habit back up, and for now have luckily avoided any surgery complications. But I understand how hard it is to quit. If it were easy I wouldn't be putting myself in danger like this. So, like I said. Stick to the no smoking for as long as you possibly can.

StacyBee160 · 12-29-2009, 04:04 AM

Not only all of the above, but the closer to your lungs and heart the healing tissue is (can't get much closer!) the more at risk you are for tissue death from compromised circulation. I've seen facelift patients with their skin turning black and sloughing off along the suture line by the ears, because they smoked too soon after surgery while they were still healing. You've gone this long already, don't mess it up now. You can do it, stay off the things!!

CyndiLouWho · 12-29-2009, 04:27 AM

Wow - well hopefully John will continue not to smoke - but all the stories have saved me from my thought that after surgery I could take it up again. I quit 11/1 as my surgeon won't do surgery on a smoker. It has gone really well...but the little smoker inside of me is saying...'hey, maybe after surgery you could smoke again...'

Yikes - don't want cancer or dead flesh (inside or out) falling off. I will just deal with the litte smoker...

Besides...who wants to go through the whole first week of quitting again - thought I was going to go mad!