Cigarettes and surgery: a huge problem here

[Anatomical suicide]

Hi everyone.
I'll get implanted in June and i smoke around 11-12 cigarettes a day.
I've already been informed about possible risks and complications a smoker would have to deal with during and after a surgery, let alone a penile surgery of this kind.
However, there is a psychological perspective that cannot be taken for granted; in my case nicotine is giving me a significant boost to get by and quitting at this point, given the exorbitant amount of pressure i have and i'll have to handle, would be devastating and i'm not exaggerating.
Are there smokers here who got implanted without particolar post op issues?
What were you surgeon's recommendations and his/her position about it?
I'm 27 by the way.

[newbie443]

I smoke cigars. For my first surgery I quit a month out and was exercising to get in as good health as I could. After a month or so post op I went back to my cigars. For my repair I did not stop smoking. I did not smoke the day of the surgery however. I did the day before and the day after. You need to stay as flat as you can for the first 3 days post op. So if you go outside to smoke plan on stopping the day of the surgery and the 2 days after. The third day after you can start to get up and move around more and take a shower. But you still need to stay down mostly. This is the first day to gradually increase activity. Maybe a smoke out side. This though would slow healing.

[Old Guy]

Never had anything said to me before my implant about smoking. Been a smoker for years, smoked one on the way to surgery and fired one up as soon as I got in the car after. That night the wife broke down and let me smoke 2 in the house. The next day I was walking out to my garage to smoke. It hurt bad for a few days, and my cigarette consumption went way down. That lasted about a week and I was back to my 10-12 a day.
I was just set to have a back fusion surgery but they denied it because of being a smoker. I know it's a bad habit but after 50+ years of tobacco use quitting is not in the cards.

[Lost Sheep]

The chemicals and drugs in smoked tobacco (and by other means of consumption, too, but transmission through the lungs is powerful and products of combustion are an additive to that which you get by chewing) have many effects on your system.

Constricting blood vessels is one of major concern. It restricts blood flow which is necessary for healing (and, by the way, that same constriction effect is a cause of E.D. as well).

Yes, a huge problem. 10-12 a day is not particularly extreme, but not good. Have you considered reducing the craving by means of a nicotine patch? Discuss with your doctor. On the one hand, stopping smoking is a good thing to do around the surgery. But stopping smoking could make you more agitated and uncomfortable, also not good.

Hypnotherapy to reduce your craving may help. It is a very powerful tool and highly effective for some people. For a couple of weeks maybe or maybe could have a permanent effect. You won't know unless you try.

[SteveSW]

Pack a day here. I was seriously admonished by every medical person involved with my surgery with warnings of slow recovery, slow or inhibited healing and increased pain levels during recovery. I understand your psychological issues about quitting cold turkey right before surgery, which is an incredibly stressful event in your life. I had a cig 15 minutes before I walked into the hospital the morning of surgery. Quitting while facing this ordeal felt overwhelming, and I didn't. Had another cigarette during the 45-minute ride home. In the 2 or 3 days following, I actually smoked very little. Just didn't satisfy, but I gradually returned to normal amounts. All in all, I had a smooth, relatively easy recovery with no issues or complications. Was continuing to smoke up until surgery and immediately following risky, yes. I feel fortunate, and I'm certainly not recommending you continue to smoke, but just relating my experience. Wishing you all the best.

[portageriver]

Yup - same here. I was a smoker at the time of both my surgeries (prostate then implant); I am sure I smoked one before walking into the hospital and as soon as I could upon leaving.

I hear you about the doc/nurses warnings; in a pre-interview, they went over all drugs/alcohol etc. I might consume regularly and didn't bat an eye about smoking weed but when I said cigs, they looked at me like I said heroin, lol. A serious look of disgust on their face.

I ended up switching to vaping in December and do like it a lot better. I don't stink and hack anymore.

So yes, less than ideal on both our parts OP, but you will be OK, especially at 27 vs. my 50+ years. Maybe you would heal faster as a non smoker but I seriously doubt there would be a noticeable difference. Just my two cents... Try to delay that very first smoke out of surgery for as long as you can or just smoke a half one - I got hella dizzy. Good luck you'll be fine.

[Old Guy]

Constricting blood vessels is one of major concern. It restricts blood flow which is necessary for healing (and, by the way, that same constriction effect is a cause of E.D. as well).

Yes, a huge problem. 10-12 a day is not particularly extreme, but not good. Have you considered reducing the craving by means of a nicotine patch? Discuss with your doctor. On the one hand, stopping smoking is a good thing to do around the surgery. But stopping smoking could make you more agitated and uncomfortable, also not good.

Hypnotherapy to reduce your craving may help. It is a very powerful tool and highly effective for some people. For a couple of weeks maybe or maybe could have a permanent effect. You won't know unless you try.

I do place part of the blame for my ED on smoking. I'm also sure that's why my hands and feet are almost always cold.
Over the years trying to quit I found patches irritate my skin in about 10 minutes, gum gave me a sore throat, Wellbutrin made me feel like I was getting dementia, and Chantix worked until I got the nightmares and weird dreams. Had quit for 4 weeks but back to smoking within a week. Hypnotherapy is the only thing I haven't tried, but my belief in it would probably make it not work for me.
Back in my 30's I actually just quit one day. Carried a pack in my pocket for a month before anyone noticed I wasn't smoking them. Stayed off for a year until a divorce and new gf was a smoker. Stupid me borrowed one while we were out drinking one night. And again two weeks later. Was buying my own pack later that week.

[Endoftheline]

When I do my surgery I'm gonna be smoking weed as I recover. NYC legalised it don't think the surgeon will care much. As long as it keeps me off the nicotine.