Hello everyone. Just initiating my inagural post on here! Does anyone know if smoking is a precursor to not qualifying for surgical procedure like Lap Band or Sleeve???
@ Pellycan 1 - There is a weight loss surgery forum if you'd like to post your question there. No doubt they have more knowledge on the topic and would be able to answer your question
Pellycan - you've asked a good Q. Although smoking doesn't disqualify a person from having surgery, most surgeons will require you to either cut WAY down before surgery [to make you a better surgical risk], or to STOP entirely before the surgery. And, of course, they'll warn you not to start smoking again afterwards, but smoking in and of itself won't usually get you a flat-out denial.
I wasn't a smoker either, but my surgical center required smokers to quit either 6 or 8 weeks prior to surgery (as well as quit coffee) and it was an automatic dis-qualifier if you did not quit. I'm not sure how they followed up on it, but I do recall how strict they were about it.
My surgeon would have preferred me to stop smoking but he said if I had cut down then that was good. Less than what I normally smoked was better than staying at what I was. I smoked Marlboro light 100's & switched to Marlboro 72's(like a 2 puff cig lol) ultra lights & the amount if them i smoked so I think I did really well to have not quit completely. But there are also insurance company's that require the blood test as well. I was a self pay so that wasn't a concern for me.
Ontario requires 6 months cigarette free, and strongly encourage no smoking post RNY, VSG or DS due to risk of Ulcers... That and the hand to mouth action of smoking. They'd rather you chew the gum, etc. but if you do that... it will show on blood work so clear it first.
Smoking and WLS?
